Rebellious Thinking
by Bittersweet Romanticide
Summary: One would think a chance to escape TR's iron grip, full of oppression, pills, and tragedy, would be at the top of her list. But it's hard to leave the only life you've ever known. Can Ash convince Misty to join the rebellion and take down Team Rocket?AAML
1. Likable

Disclaimer: Red, orange, yellow, blue, I don't own pokémon, how 'bout you?

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_**Likable**_

Ash Ketchum was sixteen, thin, slightly muscled, slightly tanned and he was comfortably situated in an old oak tree in a branch that was probably a few feet above his head. His features were young, childish; looking at his faceyou could barely imagine him more than twelve. Too add to his young appearance, he was short; he wasn't unnaturally short, still over five feet, but many girls would tower over him and he couldn't grow a moustache if he tried. He wore jeans, a black t-shirt, and a blue vest with short white sleeves; all of them were more worn than anything you could see in a fashion window, pre-washed to the faded look. Ash's sneakers were possibly the best looking things on him: made to endure the worst of weather and even the antics of the wildest teenage boy, but even they were looking slightly battered.

All in all, he wasn't up to the modern day standards. He should have been clad in black pants, perfectly ironed without a crease, a black long sleeved shirt with a red 'R' printed boldly on the front and white shoes to top it off. Ash's face should have been clean, free of dirt and mud and whatever else he was coated in. His muscles should have been thicker, to intimidate, but were instead stretched thin, making him more agile than muscular; which, in all reality, suited his abilities much better than the strong hit-and-go techniques that supposedly suited all males (according to Team Rocket) much better.

Probably most importantly, he was not supposed to have an unauthorized pokémon sitting on his shoulder, especially since the pikachu was a defect.

She had no nickname; instead, she went by Pikachu, the cute little thing, to humans. However, if you asked the pokémon she hung around, her name was Jasmine, and she was a force to be reckoned with. Her coat shone, her black eyes flashed, and she had the lean, muscled body of a powerful pokémon. Her red electric sacks were tight, filled to the brim with well controlled static. Her stripes were a dark brown, a sign that it had been a while since she lost a battle, and her ears were tipped with a smooth black that greatly contrasted her yellow body. Her only defect, the thing that could be easily avoided with a lie, was the fact that her tail had no heart shaped bump, but was square. She was a born and bred Kanto pikachu: highly unstable, often untamable, and definitely illegal.

So, obviously, when Ash Ketchum infiltrated the Team Rocket Training Institute (which was originally going to be called the Team Rocket Institute of Training but then it would have been "TRIT" which sounds a lot like another word if someone forgot to say the r), he would go with the lie option and tell everyone his pikachu was a boy. Yes, she would be hurt, but they had talked about it and (he guessed) that she was fine with it as long as it was for the sake of the mission and he wasn't actually insulting her. But she still wasn't happy about it.

"Listen, Pikachu, I'm sorry you've got to be a boy for a while, but it could be fun." He sighed; his voice was gravelly, but light and boyish. "Even if it's not, it's only for a little while, and I've have to be a boy my entire life. See, my situation is way worse than yours. On top of it, I'm going to have to take tests and pretend I'm listening during classes when we all know I'll be dreaming about coffee cake stuffed with cheese and covered in icing."

(_I hate you. I really do. You just suck at making anyone feel better about anything. You're comparing tests to gender bender. I don't want to be a boy. I want to have a family. What if I suddenly see a hot pokémon, that I like, but I can't make a move on it because, why? I'll tell you. They'll think I'm gay and kill me because then I'll have a defect. Yay, gender bender. Gender bender _sucks_!_) Pikachu ranted, digging her claws into his shoulder.

He winced and patted the mouse's head, attempting to cool her temper. "Ow, careful, Pikachu, that hurts. I tried to sympathize, okay? I really tried. It's only for a little while, I promise, nothing permanent. So just take deep, soothing breaths and calm down. We'll be in and out of here with all the information before you know it. We don't need much. Besides, _you're _the one that wanted to come and _you're _the one that won't go in a pokeball."

(_Because you'll kill yourself if I don't,_) She muttered crossly, but accepted defeat and released her death grip on his shoulder.

"Thank you, that wasn't so hard, was it?" He patted her again, scratching her favorite spot behind her ears. "Now, let's go infiltrate the Team Rocket Training Institute!" He pumped his fist in the air, neglecting to remember that he had a little rodent on that shoulder in his excitement.

Pikachu, already rather irritated at her trainer, charged and released a thunder attack that sent Ash spiraling out of the tree and face first into the ground with a painful sounds. (_Dear sweet Arceus, Ketchum, don't startle me like that! I could've had a heart attack. Put your hand over my heart, it's beating ten times faster than yours. Don't you know by now to use your other hand? I'm on your left shoulder for a reason, stupid._)

"Your heart always beats faster than mine! You're a mouse!" Ash growled, bouncing to his feet. "I know that was just because of the boy thing, so are we even?"

(_For now._) She agreed.

"Awesome. _Now _we're going to infiltrate the Team Rocket Training Institute," He sighed.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he set off. The air was a little warm and foggy, swirling around him and closing in tightly. It was fall, a few weeks after lessons started, so he was sure there were kids and pokémon around. Strangely enough, he couldn't hear a thing. He was sure fog couldn't stop his hearing, but the mist wasn't even that thick. He could see easily, and took advantage of it for a moment to eye the campus.

He couldn't possibly refer to it as 'pretty', not in the sense he was used to. Beautiful was a better word. The campus had no flowers, no weeds, but green grass and tall trees arranged around the stone path. It seemed natural, as if the path had been carved time and time again by weary travelers, with only the rocks to set off the Mother Earth look. The trees were definitely the most beautiful thing around this time of year, turning red and orange and gold as the season got colder. No leaves scattered his path, however. The gardener had probably been hired with a touch of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and often scrambled about pick off leaves.

Ash laughed at that, thinking of a gardener scuttling about like a krabby and gathering leaves to stuff in its tree. But his amusement was short lived as he strutted forward and happened upon the very building he had come to infiltrate, and, Arceus, was it ever a building if he saw one.

It was _huge_, and he couldn't even see the broadside of it. It was a square shape, a rectangle if he could see all the way around. It had to be huge, considering it held an arena for each type, a swimming pool, countless classrooms, dormitories, a pokémon center, and electronic practice machines for battling. It looked to be about five floors high, six if you counted the basement. It was plain, grey and rectangular, more like a warehouse of the gods if he ever saw one. Instead of useless items nobody wanted, wood, or scraps metal, this warehouse held teens hoping for a career in pokémon.

"That's one helluva building," Ash said, eyes wide.

"You like it, boyo?" Asked a gruff voice. It was hardy, deep, the sound of a man you would expect to be in Team Rocket, and indeed he was. He wore a black suit, unbuttoned and the jacket flapping with each mammoth step he took. He towered over Ash, looking to be at least seven feet, and he filled himself out well. His face was square, covered in black stubble and lit with an ear splitting grin and dark brown eyes. He carried himself with an air of power, head high, back straight, and moving quickly. "So, you're Ashton, aren't ya? We heard about you. One helluva Battle IQ, better than most students. Where have you been these few semesters? You're starting late."

Ash shrugged. "I'm not so good with English, sir. They wouldn't let me pass in until I got the grade up there. I wasn't so good with Science or History either. I barely passed the past few years and I had to study my ass off to get my grade up high enough to get into here. And it's awesome to be here. I can't wait to start battling with some of the best in the world. Though, they're probably not going to be able to beat me." He winked at him and held up his V for victory sign.

The man laughed again, tossing his head back and really getting into it. "Ashton! What a man! I can't believe they wouldn't let a buck like you into the Institute on personality alone! You remind me an awful lot of me growing up. 

Cocky, smart, well, not too school smart. Hell, what do we need English class for? We speak the language, don't we? No need to relearn what we already know. I don't need to know school is noun to walk inside it. Speaking of which, maybe we should get this tour of ours going."

"After you, sir," Ash nodded politely, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Sir?" The man barked another round of laughter. "Call me sir and I'll start calling you son, boyo! Name's Earl Edwards, a man's name if you've ever one, don't you agree, Ashton? You've got one great name too, less people start callin' ya Ashley."

Ash crinkled his nose, remembering a former mission with just that name. "Thank you, Mr. Edwards, but my name's not Ashton, it's Ash. It says so right on my birth certificate. Ash Ketchum, sixteen, brown eyes, black hair. I'd tell you how much I weighed when I was born, but my memory isn't that good."

"Heh, still like you, Ash. Call me Earl, enough with this formal stuff. Relax like I was one of your buddies at the bar. You go to the bar, don't you?"

_No, I hate bars. They smell like smoke and the last time I got drunk all I remember is throwing up and doing the hula in my boxers, _Ash thought crossly, his feet itching to turn around the second they went through the sliding metal doors. The place felt like a cage. Though it was spacious inside, plenty of width and height in the hallway the walls still seemed like they were closing in, tightening his chest and making his heart beat fast. But, then again, he never had been a fan of the indoor. Still, something about the Institute seemed different than a regular building. Maybe the lights were too yellow, too unnatural and glaring compared to the easy sunlight he was used to. Maybe the walls were to cream colored, the floors too perfectly arranged with stony grey tiles. They were rough, as if mimicking natural rocks you might come across outside (which was completely ridiculous if you asked him).

"Yessir. Nothing better than a beer at the end of the day," Ash agreed, putting on his best fake smile.

"Attaboy, real man's man," Earl nodded. "Now, Ashton, you don't need to remember much about this place but the floors. The first floor here? This is the lobby. Not just that, for recreational purposes. That door? We'll be making a right from it to get to the elevators." He pointed to a large set of wooden double doors, polished and shined to a light chestnut color. "Through there you'll get the recreational pools, lap pools, pool tables, video games, and just places to lounge. Though most students prefer to use it for studying. Not many kids take a rest from their schoolwork around here. Have to keep those scholarships, y'know?"

"No sir," Ash smirked. "I'm never getting a scholarship."

The man began his bellowing laughter again, sending Pikachu's ears back against her head and leaving Ash to resist the urge to cover his ears and yell at the man to laugh a little quieter. "Elevators, right there at the end of the hall. Press the button when we get to it, won't you boyo? Floor three. That's where we're headed. I'll tell you what's on the other floors once we're in. Be a good man and run ahead, won't you?"

Secretly cursing his luck with interviewers, or whatever this man was supposed to be, he jogged a few feet ahead and tapped the 'up' button, waiting for the behemoth behind him to catch up.

(_I don't like this guy_,) Pikachu whispered in his ear.

"I don't either," Ash muttered. "He calls me Ashton. My name isn't Ashton, it's Ash. I hate people who do that. Don't you get the feeling this place is like a slaughterhouse? They're marching us in and the second we get in that elevator the doors will close it'll fill up with water and I'll drown. I don't know why they want to kill me, but I don't think they really need a reason. You know, if they're going to kill me, they could call me by the right name so I have a bit of dignity before I die."

(_You are _severely _underestimating the situation. You're going to get yourself killed if you down cool the cockiness and use that empty shell of a head,_) Pikachu growled, giving his cheek an affectionate lick. (_And I swear to every god and goddess there is, I _will _electrocute that man if he attempts to touch me with his disgusting, greasy-_)

"Talkative little fellow, isn't he?" Earl grinned, walking up next to Ash. "Sorry the elevator takes so long. It's rare that we use it and it takes a while for the Raichu who runs this thing to wake up, stupid fucker. Ashton, my boy, you smoke?"

"Used to, have to quit for the tests they put you through," Ash lied.

"Mmm," The man nodded, pulling a cigarette form the box in his pocket. A match followed suit, rubbing swiftly along his calloused palm and lightning up. Soon, the doors opened, and Ash knew he was about to be tortured with the nauseous setting of an elevator filling up with smoke. "You won't mind if I smoke in the elevator, do you? I'm sure you're used to the smell, boyo. You don't get nicotine from secondhand."

"Actually," Ash began, leaping at his chance. "I'm trying to wean myself all the way off. Could you wait to puff on it until we're out and it's not so cramped? Seeing you smoke is bad enough. I'm going cold turkey, no patches, no nothing. That kind of stuff seems awfully weak, doesn't it?"

"Too true, Ashton! I'm sick of all these trying-to-quit kids, whining about how hard it is. You smoke or you don't! It's all a matter of willpower." He stepped into the elevator, Ash close behind, and nodded when the younger boy pressed the button. "Very good. Now, floor two is the battling floor. You've got a few regular arenas and then one of each type. To get the type arenas, you either have to wake up extra early or schedule it at the front desk. You'll see it when you go down there. The basement is where we store the pokémon. Floor four is the dorm rooms. We'll assign you one when we get to my office."

"Which is on the third floor?" Ash attempted, "with the classrooms."

"Attaboy!" Earl grinned. The doors began to open and the cigarette flew to his mouth. He took a long, slow drag with a long, slow sigh. "Who says you're not so smart? Plenty brilliant here, as I see it. Only four floors, looks like more, doesn't it? It's because the floors are taller than others. It's the arenas that does it. We have to make them big to fit the pokémon and get room to maneuver those attacks."

"Makes sense," Ash agreed. "But it probably would have been easier to put it on the roof. Then you'd have as much room as you wanted. But then we probably wouldn't have gotten such big halls or high ceilings, so there's some good to it. Maybe that was the whole plan behind it."

"Probably wasn't a plan," The older man shrugged. His eyes squinted in the distance, and then narrowed with a sniff. "Oh, not this fucker again."

Ash tried to squint as well, looking down the hallway, but he wasn't sure if he was anything that would constitute a 'fucker'.

There _was _what looked like a person his age down the hall. She was wearing a pair of shorts, black like the Team Rocket uniform. Her shirt was the traditional black, red R, midriff showing short sleeved mess that all Rockets wore, but, instead of the knee high white boots or shoes, she was barefoot. Her hair was tied up in a high side ponytail, a bright orange color, and definitely short. The closer they got, the more he looked. Her eyes were wide, blue and green, strangely familiar though he couldn't put his finger on where. Her face was slightly pretty, the traditional look of a teenage girl, not too developed, not too young.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He barked. "Isn't there some classroom for you to be in? It's in the middle of a period! I know it's a little hard for you to understand, but until the pretty bell rings, you're supposed to be inside a classroom, not aimlessly wandering the halls like you're the greatest thing alive. Here's the rule for you, girlie: If there's no adult around, you're doing something wrong."

She blinked at him, face still and head cocked to the side. "But, _you're _here, and _you're _an adult, aren't you?"

Earl gritted his teeth. "Then what were you doing before I got here?"

"Nobody cares where I go, you wouldn't care if he wasn't here," She said, his voice holding the barest touch of anger. "It's not a big deal as long as I'm out of everyone's way. If you had warned me, I wouldn't have been here. I'm sorry I ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'll try not to be in the way, but you have to help. Tell me when you're bringing in new students and I'll stay in the classroom, but it's absolutely ridiculous to think that I have some kind of psychic power that lets me know everywhere you're going to be at any point in time. It's not like I'm the gym leader of Saffron City."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Earl growled.

"Saffron City had a psychic gym. The gym leader, to really be able to master psychic pokémon, would always be psychic themselves. If I was psychic, I could know what you were thinking and get out of the way. They were talking about it in history class before I-"

"Wandered out here," Earl snapped. "You're going to make Ashton here regret ever coming to our school."

"No, it's fine, I don't mind," Ash grinned. He held out his hand to shake hers. "Ash Ketchum, I'm going to be a new student here. Just transferred today and now I'm getting the grand tour. Is there anything I need to know if I'm a student here? What teachers to steer clear from, what water fountain not to touch, who's a bully and who's someone I should never hang out with if I want anyone to like me?"

She stared at his hand; brows knitted together, then looked up at him. "You're not supposed to hang out with me. It's against the rules. There's no bullies here and teachers are teachers." She turned to Earl. "I'll go and try not to interfere anymore."

"Not so fast!" Earl shouted (which, really, was unnecessary as the red head hadn't gone anywhere). "Tell me the name of your homeroom teacher! The class you're supposed to be in too!"

"You're giving me a detention?" She asked, the slightest smirk hiding in her face. "All of you have been giving out detentions for years but you've got no way to make me go. I'm not going this time either, so, really, you'll just be wasting resources and time, valuable time you could be using to give Ash a real tour of the school instead of a once over and a few drinks in your office. You do that with all the boys, and you do even less with the girls. Girls like their tequila too, you know."

"Your homeroom teacher and the class you should be in!" He shouted again, fists clenching as he pulled a notepad and a pen from his pocket. His meaty hands trembled with rage, his face going scarlet to the roots of his hair. "Tell me now, or it's two weeks!"

She sighed. "Mr. Audley, for homeroom. I'm supposed to be in history, with Mr. Maconochie. Who, by the way, Ash, is one of the best teachers you could ever have for history. If you're taking a history this year, he's the one to go after. He's also the best teacher for a study hall. He lets you go to the student lounge and talk all you want. Try not to get into any study hall with Mrs. Teddington. She doesn't let you talk at all."

"Here," Earl said gruffly, holding out the paper as if unwilling to touch her. His face sneered with disgust as she took it, careful as well not to touch his hand. "I'd better not see you around here again. Just stay inside your classroom and we won't have this problem, will we?"

"No sir," The girl agreed reluctantly, leaning casually against the wall. Her face turned towards the floor, hidden from their eyes. "You won't see me from now on."

"Good," Earl said, nodding curtly. "Ashton, let's get a move on. There's no point in dawdling around with a girl like this. No good for anything, not even for a one night fuck. But, then again, if you can't fuck 'em, what use are they, 

right?" And his laugh boomed again, deep and throaty as he made his way down the hall, hands shoved in his pockets with the notepad, the cigarettes, and whatever else he kept deep inside. His boots thunked a bit heavier against the stone, his chest still stuck out ahead, showing he still had a bit of anger in him, but he didn't spare the girl a glance as he marched by.

Ash lingering for a moment, took a step closer to whisper in her ear, "Name?"

She was quiet for a moment, and Ash wondered if the girl hadn't heard him, or if she already hated him enough to not give him the answer. She did seem awfully cold. Not a muscle twitched, not a sound made, and he found himself wondering if she was even breathing. But, finally, she returned, her voice just as low as his. "Misty, Ash Ketchum. Pleasure to meet you. You better keep up with Earl; he'll get mad if he sees you talking to me."

"Nice to meet you too," He grinned.

A second later he had spun on his heel and chased after Earl. (_What's with that grin? That's your trainer grin. Don't tell me you're up to something with that girl._)

"What can I say?" He whispered. "I'm not going to pry to deep, but what the hell is she doing weird stuff in a place like this? It's way too organized. And she's saying she doesn't have to go to detention, has no respect for authority, that doesn't scream Team Rocket Training Institute. That's something weird going on, and we need to find out what makes her so different to see if we can convert all the rest of the kids against Team Rocket."

(_In other words, you won't settle down until you've got as much information as a pokedex entry,_) Pikachu scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"So, Earl, what's the deal with her?" Ash asked, trotting to keep up with the man's ever quickening strides. "She doesn't seem normal."

"She's not," Earl snapped. "She's an idiot. She failed her Battle IQ, completely useless with pokémon. She's not allowed to have any. Stupid bitch would try to eat them. She's weaning off the system, Ash. She's a defect. They found her orphaned and took her into the school, Team Rocket's a good organization like that, but now there's nothing we can do to get through that thick skull of hers. She won't sit down during class; she won't wear the proper uniform; she won't put on the boots. We've just given up on her. She does whatever she wants now. Think of it as charity, just another benefit of the school. And, you know she just told you all that shit about teachers to get on my nerves. All the teachers are the same, they're perfectly qualified. Everything she says is a load of crap, Ashton, don't believe it for a second."

"Earl, you don't need to panic," Ash laughed. "I'm planning on coming here. It's not like I'm a health inspector or anything. It's the best school, _only _school, that I can go to if I want to be a trainer. I want to be a trainer more than anything else in the world, and the class clown isn't going to stop me. Besides, even if she does wander the school, it's not like she's an ugly thing to look at and I've heard the stupid ones are the best fucks."

(_I don't care if you _are_ acting. You're a sick man. This guy isn't even a teacher. Why are you trying to impress him?_) Pikachu muttered.

Earl, pulling out keys from his pocket (and making both Ash and Pikachu wonder exactly how deep those pockets of his were), turned to a door and opened it up. The room behind was hot, the heater rumbling to make the room a sweltering eighty degrees. Too make it worse, the room smelled with old food shoved in the trashcan and sweat. It was decorated grandly, as if the queen of England spent her summers there. Royal red and gold seats were placed around an old wooden desk, regal in every way. The room was tight and cramped, and every wall was lined with bookcases stuffed full of sports, sex, and other books that made Ash feel completely out of place.

"Talkative little mouse, huh?" Earl chuckled, reaching out to pet Pikachu.

Ash stumbled back as she began to crackle, a couple stray sparks hitting the side of his face with a familiar tingling. "Uh, no, sir! He's, uh, he's a one man beast, if you know what I mean. Pikachu really can't handle anyone else touching him. I trained him that way; see, so he'll only listen to me. If some kind of rebellion brat goes after him or some kid tries to prank me, Pikachu will just zap them right up. I needed him for defense in my old town."

"Where ya from?" Earl asked, plopping down in his chair and waving for Ash to do the same.

"Pewter," Ash replied. He eyed the tall backed chair, which looked more uncomfortable than standing. His rolled from his toes to his heel, shoving his hands into his pockets, until a small shock form Pikachu prodded him forward and into the chair. He sighed as he sat, the chair _was _uncomfortable, and to make it all worse, it was _hot._ "It wasn't too bad; my house was closer to the suburbs than the inner city. That's why I don't mind leaving my mom back there. But, you know how it is, there's some stuff that you need to get in dark places."

"Crack?" Earl asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, sir, need the brain for being a trainer." Ash tapped his temple, thanking his luck that his friends weren't here to make a crack about his intelligence.

"Good man," Earl nodded, leaning back in his chair. He put his feet up on the desk, shoving the dirty things practically in Ash's face and hiding his own from view. "Choosing career over pleasure, wish I could do something like that. I was a train wreck when I was your age. By the time I straightened up, well, let's just say I'll never be a grade A trainer. I'm not too bad, good enough to get a job, but I can only imagine how much better I would have been if I stayed clean. I'd probably be smarter."

Ash nodded in sympathy. "So, sir, is there anything else you need from me? This seems awfully short for an interview."

"Well, Ketchum," Earl said with a groan, "I'm not much of an interviewer, or a tour guide, but I like ya. Besides, I think people learn more by doing than by listening. So, when I let you leave the office, I'm going to ask you to wander around the school, see what you can find. Maybe there's a game you like in the lounge, maybe you get the top score on the simulator, maybe you've got a few water pokémon you'd like to release in the pool or maybe you just want to take the day to relax in your room. It doesn't matter much to me. Just make sure you get a feel for this place. Once you're here for the night, well, I'm not so sure you're going to ever be able to leave."

"Sir?" Ash asked in confusion.

"This place has a grip on people, a grip that you can't escape no matter how hard you try. I don't know what it is, but…" Earl sighed. "Listen, boyo, I like you. I like you a whole lot. Now, I'm not so sure what's going on in that head of yours, if everything you've been telling me is the truth or if you're some rebellion junkie who's planning on taking this place down, which, you'd better not tell but taking this whole operation down and getting it back to the way it was all those years ago where kids could ran around as they pleased. Still, here's the thing…" He took his feet off the desk and leaned forward, voice low, "This place is a death trap, Ketchum. Once you're here, you'll never get out. You still want to join?"

Ash grinned, "Sir, I want to be a trainer. As much as I respect you, no ghost story about this place is going to turn me off. But, if it makes you feel any better, I'll feel around and see if I get any bad feelings. If I get that warning sign in the back of my head I'll run like a poochyena in a battle. But I'm not going anywhere for now. Seriously, sir, is there anything else you need me to know before I go exploring."

Earl sat back a moment, reflecting, huffing on his cigarette. "I understand, Ketchum. I hope it won't be too late by the time you know what I know. There's other shit to do, though, Ketchum, you can't run yet. First things first, you've got a schedule I'll print for you know. Is there anything you want me to make sure you have?"

"Battling class, as long as I have that I think I'll be…" He trailed off, an idea beginning to form. "Uh, sir, come to think of it, could I have Mr. Audley, for homeroom and history with Mr. Maconochie last period? It _is _last period right now, isn't it?"

Earl smirked, pulling out a hand held computer from his never ending magic pockets and began to punch in what Ash hoped was his schedule changed. "So, you took a liking to the idiot? Bet you're curious about her. No need to be, Ash, there's nothing under the surface but more stupidity. She had the lowest Battle IQ ever instated since the _test has been issued_, she didn't even get her type trumps right. When asked what she would do, she always answered something with water pokémon. But I'll arrange it all for you, don't mind doing it. Maybe you can smarten her up a bit. Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I can do you one better. You two can be put in the same room and you won't even have to triple up."

"What? Oh, no," Ash laughed nervously. "You don't have to do anything like that, sir. I'm not, uh, listen, I want to focus on my career. Even though I joked about it earlier I don't really want to, uh, I don't really think I should waste time I could have studying, er, sleeping with girls."

(_How should you do it? Sleeping with boys? Oh! What a knee slapper, but look what you've done. Because you made sexist, dirty jokes, you're expected to live up to them. Have fun corrupting your morals and deflowering the mildly retarded girl._)

"Yes, Pikachu, don't worry. We'll get a girl for you too," Ash soothed, patting his friend on the head. "Earl, you wouldn't believe the number of pokémon this boy knocked up. I swear, thank goodness he's a boy or I'd have to take care of all those eggs. He barely likes battling as long as he can get a girl. He's a crazy thing, but, then again, I suppose that's because he's the rat type and those things breed like crazy too."

(_The second we leave this room, I will _zap _your ass so bad-_)

Earl, meanwhile, was nearly helpless with laughter that was turning into a coughing fit. "Not what I meant, boyo!" He gasped through the coughs. He cooled himself down, never removing the cigarette from his mouth and waving his hand in front of his face. "Not what I meant at all. Kids around here are a different breed. You're never going to see any kids kissing in the halls or here any strange sounds at night. You're safe from all that here, so don't worry about mixing up girls and boys."

"You're sure?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or are the teachers just really blind? You've got the top kids in the world in this school so they're probably going to be better at hiding this kind of stuff. I mean, don't you even have _classes _where you train kids to be quiet like spies."

"Yes, Ash, we have classes like that but I'm telling you it doesn't happen," Earl informed. "You can look all you want, be as popular as you want, but you'll never hear about kids getting together. In fact, you're not going to hear anything that doesn't relate to school. You'll hear plenty about history and science and battling and pokémon, but you're never going to find a magazine, you'll never hear kids talking about what was on TV last night, you probably won't even see kids write letters or call up their parents. I'm telling you this once and only once: These are strange, strange kids of a different breed."

Ash blinked. "Well, if they're so different, why do you work here? Don't they freak you out?"

"Oh, they freak me out alright. But I know why they're freaky, and they're all freaky in the same way. As long as I know why they're freaky they can be as freaky as they want. I don't mind it then. It all makes sense." Earl nodded. "You know what I mean, Ash_ton_ Satoshi Ketchum. It's better to know what the enemy is. Knowing what's after ya is a lot less freaky than something you've never heard of."

"Okay," He agreed slowly. "And what exactly makes the kids around here act so, uh, freaky?"

"I can't answer that one, Ashton," Earl sighed, putting his cigarette out on the corner of his desk. "You can try another one, but I can't answer that."

"Fine, why do you hate that red headed girl, Misty? You said as long as you know what's wrong, you're fine with it, and you know that Misty's stupid. There's no mystery to it so why should you be freaked out by it? She seems perfectly normal except for that whole wandering around thing."

The man narrowed his eyes. "Listen, Ashton, she seems fine now, but you weren't here when they brought her in. They brought her when she was five, when she was little. Little kids aren't supposed to do the things she did. She was one freaky child. I don't like children who aren't normal. I don't like it when they have diseases, I don't like that autism shit or those blind or retarded children who thrash around like a magikarp. I don't like it. I'm a sensitive man and that shit scares me like no man can, and I was in the _war_, Ketchum. I know what I can and can't stand, and I can't stand her."

Ash stiffened during the speech, the man's loud and angry words chilling him to his core. Earl was intimidating, strong, and with the rage he was showing he was absolutely terrifying. It was all Ash could do to swallow the lump in his throat, ignore his wildly beating heart, and reply, "Makes perfect sense, sir. Different people hate different things, I was just wondering. Sorry if I've offended you in any way. It's just…we didn't get crazy stuff like that in Pa…Pewter City. Most defects, well," Ash looked at the floor, "you know what they do to the defects in the city, don't you, sir? I'd rather not say."

Earl was much calmer now, nodding at Ash. "Yessir, I know what they do to the defects. Not pretty. You should've seen what they did before all this was settled. Scary shit then, Ketchum. Fully grown defects all rounded up like camerupt at a slaughter house. It is real terrifying shit, Ash. Did you see those videos? 'Course you did, everyone did. It's practically a law! You should be glad you're growing up now instead of a couple decades back. It's much better now than before. There's not nearly as many of those genocide moments."

Ash took a good look at Earl, now as the man ran a hand through his hair, and what he was different from a moment ago. He could see a fifty year old man in that chair, instead of the man who once looked like he was in his thirties. The scar trailing form his eyebrow to ear, once invisible, stood out like a black bug in a white room, raising a thin white line in the flesh that gave him a much war-worn look. All in all, he looked like a veteran, and one helluva veteran to boot.

"Sir," Ash whispered, his stomach beginning to turn. Of the many lies he had told that die, the movies were no lie. He remembered the images, the ill, the retarded, the disfigured, piled into the pokémon gyms and burned, a topic he never liked to touch on. "Could you print out my schedule and let me go? I don't want to talk about this anymore, sir. I…I really know what you're talking about. I've seen the videos in class and I…sir, I'm not good with these mass killings. I think I might…"

"Head between your knees, boyo," Earl instructed. Ash did as he was told and swung his head forward, looking and the floor and swallowing over and over and over again to stop the nauseous sensation rising in his throat. "You'll be alright. We won't talk about this anymore. Your schedule is printing out now; your room assignment is on the sheet. You've got a TV in your room. Try to avoid the history channel, who knows what they've got playing. Turn on a kids' station, play with the bunnies. Half the game downstairs are combat games, bloody stuff. I don't think you'll be able to handle them."

"Not now," Ash moaned, his stomach beginning to heave. "Oh, Arceus, not right now. All those movies, I can't watch it. What they did, oh, Mew, the things they did to those poor people. Five minutes ago we were all good and happy and now…oh Mew."

"I know, Ashton," Earl sympathized. He grabbed the sheet and held it out to the boy, who grabbed it with weak fingers. "Listen, Ash, no matter what people say to you…It's really refreshing to see a man who still feels. A man who still let's things get to him. That's something rare, and it's better than a man like me who can go through a war. You're a great mean, Ashton Ketchum, and we're awfully glad to have you aboard. Now, stand up and shake my hand."

He did, wobbling on his feet and green in the face, but he stood and he shook his hand heartily. "Attaboy. Now, Ketchum, I'm sure a lot of what you told me today was a pack of lies; this bit at the end confirmed it. From what I can see, you're a good boy. That's something you don't see every day, and it's refreshing. You don't need to lie about 

something like that. I like it. I like it even more than the boy I met outside this place, and I've got something nice for ya."

Earl turned his hands to his desk, rummaging through the drawer before pulling out a bottle and tossing it to Ash. The good boy caught it, fumbling a bit, but latching on tightly. "Take one of those. They'll keep the up-chuck feelings at bay. And, just in case they start going at it in history class or you hear one of the students talking about it, take one each morning. We don't need you throwing up in class, do we?"

"No sir," Ash said, beginning to unscrew the lid and dig inside for a pill.

"I told you, Aston, call me Earl."

Ash grinned shakily, trying to calm his nerves, tilted his head back and swallowed one of the pills. It tasted like chalk and went down slowly, almost making his stomach heave again. He'd always hated pills. They were the worst medical devices, second only to shots. "And I told you, Earl, call me Ash."

Earl laughed again, the deep sound following Ash to the hallway. The door closed behind him, clicking shut and locking. At the moment, there was only one thing Ash wanted, and that was to go to his room, lie down, and take a nap. The pill, whatever it was, didn't seem to be helping the nauseous feelings, but he figured that all pills took a few minutes to work, even with modern medicine. However long it was, he just had to hope the little white pill would kick in soon.

He sighed again, and gave himself a bit of a smile. Earl liked him, for the same reason lots of people did. But, he supposed it was a good thing. If you were planning on being a traitor, an infiltrator, a double agent, it was good to be loved. Love ones were unexpected as traitors, not the ones you _really _loved. And no one could ever truly hate Ash Ketchum; he had a way about him that just made people open up and smile.

Yes, Ash Ketchum was definitely likable.

* * *

So, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter of my new story. I don't know how well this will turn out. This is going to be the first time I do big battle scenes, so I'm rooting for it to come out well!

Tell me what you liked, what you hated, just give me a clue! There's a pretty blue button, you know what to do!


	2. Stupid

_**Stupid**_

Misty's ID number was 1163169F. It was the number they locked her in as the day she had been dragged in, kicking and screaming, and it was the number they'd reuse when she died. Unless, somehow, she managed to boost her Battle IQ and win every battle she face. If she managed to be a _great _of Team Rocket, they'd save her number, teach it to future students, and immortalize her in the history books. _Arceus_, how she wanted that.

But she had come to accept that it would never happen.

Instead, she resigned herself to the room at the end of the hallway. It was messy, shirts, pants, bras, underwear and the occasional sock littering floor. Though, once a month they vanished down the small metal hole in her wall and returned folded and ironed on her bed, smelling like flowers and detergent. She had no reason to bother cleaning because, unlike the other students, she had no roommate, no daily inspections and nothing that could be taken away as punishment. There were two bunkbeds, each with a rough, plastic mattress, white sheets, and dark green blankets, pillows were fluffed at the top. At least, on the right one. The rest of the beds were unmade disasters, pillows scatters about the bed as if she had purposely spent an afternoon messing them up. A desk sat opposite the door, under a small window with white miniblinds, and was scattered with notebooks, textbooks, and a keyboard with a holographic monitor that blinked the time in white on a light purple digital readout.

Every morning, at seven, it beeped. Three quick ones, a pause, then three quick sounds again until she rolled out of bed and typed 'off' on her keyboard. She would pull off the bra and underwear she had worn that night, pull on a new set, and pick up clothes from the floor that smelled fresh, and pull them over her head. A moment later, she picked up her red, drawstring bag and strode out the door. As she walked, she swept up her hair in a messy side ponytail and fastened it with the color of the day. Blue was Monday; green was Tuesday; yellow was Wednesday; orange was Thursday; red was Friday; purple was Saturday and black was Sunday.

She would then stroll down the hallway, up the stairs with a hundred other kids, and trot into Mr. Audley's room.

She liked Mr. Audley. He was her science teacher, and though she knew it was ridiculous to think so, it seemed as if he had set the entire room up just for her. Skulls of pokémon, models, and even a few pokeballs and loose critters in the back lined the room, begging for her to wander and touch. The man never told her no in a tone that implied she was three and he did not mind when she took a minute to sit in the back of the classroom, surrounded by pocket monsters, and jot notes in her notebook or follow along with his lecture. Possibly best of all, if she raised her hand, he would call on her.

On the day she met Ash, she raised her hand in class.

"Misty," Mr. Audley nodded to her.

She was buried in ratatas, the little rats nibbling at her bare skins and crying their name loudly with excitement. Still, she raised her voice and carried it to him with more curiosity than any of his other students. "You said that all pokémon have the ability to come from eggs. You said that they also have the possibility of live birth. Why would all, pardon, _most _pokémon be able to deliver a live pup as well as an egg. Certainly evolution would only call for the more effective way."

His balding brown haired head shook, green eyes closing and small glasses being pushed up his nose. "The whysof the world are not on the test, Misty. They never are."

She rolled her eyes. "Mr. Audley, you and I both know that it doesn't matter how good I do on the test as long as I can't battle. Won'tchya just tell me what's going on with this stuff? I swear I want to know, so you won't be wasting your time. No one in class really is listening aside from me anyway."

He sighed, but spoke. "You're correct in that, but you're forgetting the most important part: humans. Now, we completely warped the system. We did not only mess with Stepped Evolution, but Smooth Evolution. The difference between the two is probably we can easily see Stepped Evolution, such as ratata to raticate, but we can't see how the ratata, once half the size, managed to grow as a species this big. Are you following me so far, Misty?"

"Following as best I can, sir," She nodded.

"Alright, now depending on the pokémon, either egg or live birth would be better. Pokémon that lived in packs went with live birth. With one pokémon always around to protect it, and the memes that had to be learned through pack life…" He trailed off, scanning the rest of the class. "And, memes _will _be on the test, class. They're a learned skill, not an instinctual one, such as counting to ten. Make sure you know that definition."

"Okay, so why would a pokémon opt for live birth aside from teaching memes? Pokémon that don't live in groups have live births all the time. Even predators do, and it'd be much easier to have the eggs, so they aren't slowed down by pregnancy, and then have the first evolved from out and hunting in a matter of seconds. With something like that, you'd figure practically all pokémon would opt for that. It's much safer."

"A predator would have more time to teach a pokémon hunting skill. As for your other questions, I'm afraid I can't answer that. Having a egg does seem better, but we've noticed that pokémon would rather have live young. It's almost a constant. When the pokémon is not in a stressed environment, there are live births. When there is stress, the eggs increase. This is shown as post war pokémon all came from eggs. Does that help answer your question at all?"

She paused before the next question, mouth hanging open wordlessly.

"If you have nothing to say, Miss Misty, I suggest you close your mouth so the butterfree don't fly in. I do have a class to teach, so talk quickly."

"Eggborns," She blurted, causing the class to turn and look at her. "I mean, ah, human…human Eggborns. What do you know about them? We've all heard that once the war started, the rare, practically unheard of labor where women had, well, eggs instead of humans, and then those humans began practicing Stepped Evolution…how much is known about them? Were they really some kind of poison created by the Rebellion, or were they just a natural human reaction to the stress of war. You know, the human body just naturally tried to keep the baby safe mother safe, so they had…" She swallowed again. "Eggs."

"Eggborns," He said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not supposed to touch on that topic. Nobody knows too much about them except that they were fantastic fighters and tended to be socially numb. Probably because, through Stepped Evolutions, they didn't learn the behaviors they needed to survive around other people. Most of them, as you know, couldn't tell the difference between a friend and an enemy and were considered-"

"Defective," She finished, hands hesitating in the short fur.

A boy turned to her then, blue-purple hair cut just below his ears, green eyes curious. "Are you an Eggborn, or just a bit defective."

Misty searched his face, looking for malice, something disgusted, but found none. He was simply curious, maybe even a small touch of pity dwelling in his eyes. Sure of his intent, she held his eyes and spoke loud enough for the class to hear, "I'm not an Eggborn, and I'm not defective. If I was defective, don't you think I'd be dead by now? My Battle IQ may be low, but I can think just fine. My class grades would be higher than yours if I bothered taking a test."

He blinked. "I heard you were stupid."

"Well, I'm not. In fact, when it comes to every day knowledge, I'm probably brighter than you."

"Students," Mr. Audley warned. He snapped his fingers four times, each time louder than the last to try and bring them back. "Settle down now. This isn't about intelligence. We're trying to learn science here. Remember, Stepped Evolution versus Smooth. You'll be having a test on this. You need to pay attention."

He cocked his head at her. "Do you know who I am?"

"An asshole?" She asked, a tiny smirk appearing on her lips.

"Take your pills, you're acting crazy," the boy advised. "I'm James. My parents donate enough money to this school each day to buy you three times over. Then again, I wouldn't need much to buy you. Defects are never worth much, especially when they're Eggborn."

"Excuse me, _James_, I'm no-"

"Misty," Mr. Audley said sharply. "Please, go out to the hallway, take a pill. This conversation won't be going anywhere pleasant. When you've calmed yourself down, feel free to step back into the classroom. Make sure the gate is closed and brush the straw off you. The last thing we need is for ratatas and straw to litter the hallways. Class will end soon and I'm sure you wouldn't mind getting a head start to your next classroom."

She did as she was told, eyes narrowing as she stormed out of the classroom. Her hand automatically dug in the near invisible pocket, bringing out a lime green pill and gulping it down dry. It was hardly the size of her smallest fingernail, but it seemed to go down the a rock. Her beating heart slowed, temper subsided, and her eyes began to half close in an almost sleepy gaze. The pill worked quickly and lasted for a few minutes, she barely noticed the students whirling around her, and didn't come out of the heavy daze for a while.

That is, until she heard a voice down the hall. A _new_ voice, and that was just enough to start her heart pounding again.

"…But it probably would have been easier to put it on the roof. Then you'd have as much room as you wanted. But then we probably wouldn't have gotten such big halls or high ceilings, so there's some good to it. Maybe that was the whole plan behind it." The boy nodded to Earl, walking down the hallway with a carefree, boyish stride. He looked too young to be walking through here, but she supposed he just had a high Battle IQ.

"Probably wasn't a plan…Oh, not this fucker again." Earl had seen her, the boy was attempting to understand, but Earl knew exactly what was going on.

She hated Earl. There was no nice way to put it. With every fiber of her being she wished he would keel over dead. He had never liked her, not form the first time she met him. He was always shoving pills down her throat, kicking her out his door, and trying his best to get her in trouble. He wouldn't leave her alone, expecting her to be like the other kids, at times cornering he and yelling at her with alcohol and smoke on his breath. After a few minutes he would stagger away, still muttering about defects and banging into walls. It was from these lectures that she assumed the feeling of hatred as mutual.

That, and the fact that he also referred to her as a 'fucker'.

He barked at her, walking in as if he was the greatest thing since medication. "What the hell are you doing here? Isn't there some classroom for you to be in? It's in the middle of a period! I know it's a little hard for you to understand, but until the pretty bell rings, you're supposed to be inside a classroom, not aimlessly wandering the halls like you're the greatest thing alive. Here's the rule for you, girlie: If there's no adult around, you're doing something wrong."

Her thoughts still blurred, her eyes were still heavy, so she could only blink and stare wide eyed at him, barely managing to squeeze out the slurry words: "But, _you're _here, and _you're _an adult, aren't you?"

She saw his jaw clench in a tight line. "Then what were you doing before I got here?"

"Nobody cares where I go, you wouldn't care if he wasn't here," She said, her voice holding the barest touch of anger. "It's not a big deal as long as I'm out of everyone's way…"

It descended into a rant, a brief argument, when suddenly a hand was offered to her and the Ash fellow was introducing himself. It was strange to her, most people skipping the courtesies and moving right by her. The boy was new though, so she decided to go the polite route and explain things to him and apologize to Earl. Earl did not take it lightly, and he began his tirade. She retorted it by talking to Ash. She was quite sure the last thing Earl wanted was her interacting with the boy, and she was soon proved right as the man stalked off, hoping to take Ash with him.

Instead, the new kid stayed, moving closer to her. He was closer then most people would dare to get, hand resting on the wall and body sending off a pulse of heat. He smelled like outside instead of cheap soap and shampoo, and his voice seemed to hold more emotion with one word than some did with long lectures. "Name?"

She wasn't sure what to do. No one had ever specifically given her the rule Avoid All Others or Keep Your Mouth Shut, but it seemed like an unwritten law. She really didn't like breaking rules, but she did know there was a rule about being polite. She held her inner struggle for a moment, then finally sighed, "Misty, Ash Ketchum. Pleasure to meet you. You better keep up with Earl; he'll get mad if he sees you talking to me."

The boy beamed, looking a little too ecstatic with the small bit of information, and could barely blurt out: "Nice to meet you too," before running off to chase ear, Pikachu chattering away and glancing back at her on his shoulder.

The boy began speaking, not realizing how well sound carried through the halls: "So, Earl, what's the deal with her? She doesn't seem normal."

"She's not. She's an idiot. She failed her Battle IQ, completely useless with pokémon. She's not allowed to have any. Stupid bitch would try to eat them. She's weaning off the system, Ash. She's a defect. They found her orphaned and took her into the school, Team Rocket's a good organization like that, but now there's nothing we can do to get through…"

Their voices faded away, leaving Misty with the tiniest of pangs. There was only one way she could think of to solve it, and that was to dig in her pocket and pull out another pill, swallowing it quickly and rubbing at her itching eyes. She sighed with relief as the pill quickly kicked in, taking all the wild, crazy thoughts out of her head and throwing her into a calming high. She hit the wall and slid down to the floor, eyes closing and sighing with relief.

She would stay there for hours, curled up softly on the floor and alternating between napping and letting her mind fill with dreams of being a great, of being the best Team Rocket member to ever grace the hallways. She was never kicked, never touched, and she guessed that she was never even spared a glance at as the kids rushed by. She liked it that way, it was much better to hear the conversations, to find all sorts of things out that maybe the teachers didn't want her to know. She did find something interesting out that day, from two rushing by men in white lab coats with red R's drawn on the front.

"_I heard from the higher ups that they think the Rebellion's going to be making their move soon, possibly before the end of the year._"

"_Doubt it, higher ups always jump to conclusions. Hey, ah, what's the new password to get into the lab? I lost the key."_

"_One, nine, nine, two, y'idiot. Put the key on a string or something…"_

* * *

During her free period, she opted for the simulators. There were two types of simulators, the truly good ones, where pokémon would duck and dodge depending on what the trainer said. They were as close to a real battle as one could get, though the computers inside would freeze if the trainer tried something unexpected. Misty typically opted for the other one, a roleplay game for kids. You would pick a region, get a starter, than work your way through the region, gather badges, beat the Elite Four, and whatever else you felt like. This was much smaller than the blocky computers, in fact, small enough to fit inside a pair of dark sunglasses, each shaded lens holding a digital screen that followed her eye movement as to where she wanted to go, what moves she wanted to use, and whatever other choices were presented in the game.

She practically fell out of her chair when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Misty whipped off her glasses, eyes squinting in the brighter light to see Ash Ketchum. He had a bright smile, lopsided with white teeth flashing and was situated on the arm of her chair. One leg was bent up in front of him and the other one dangled down on the floor. "Hello, Miss Misty. Misty is your name, right? See, I'm sharing a room with you, but I just realized that I have no idea where it is. Would you mind stopping whatever you're doing and taking me up? I'm tired and nauseous, so the sooner I can lay down the better."

She blinked up at him, head cocked to the side and proclaimed. "You have a Pikachu on your shoulder."

"Yes, I do," Ash agreed with a small nod. "He's very friendly. Could you, uh, take me to the room."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You said you're nauseous, why? Was it because Earl smells like cigarettes and beer? They've got pills for when you're nauseous, you should take one. The nurse's office is out the back door, you'll see a short hallway with all the medical stuff. The one without a Chansey or the word "Emergency" or "Therapy" on the door is the one you'll want to go in. Then you should be able to relax and play on the simulators."

Ash looked startled. "Are you trying to keep me out of your room?"

"If I was trying to keep you out of my room I'd sit in front of the door with a knife and a crazy smile," She said, a slight sarcastic smile fighting its way onto her lips. "But, you probably shouldn't go in there. I'm not used to roommates. My underwear is all over the floor. I guess I'd have to clean it. That, or you could be a gentleman and sleep outside until you're eventually terminated because you're not nearly as good at battling as you say you are."

"You either don't like me or you're a cynical bitch."

"I've only know you for a few minutes. How can I either like or dislike you?" She asked, standing up and pocketing the glasses. "I can take you back to the room, but you have to be patient. If you wait outside for a while I'll clean up. You can have a bunkbed all to yourself, I guess we're going to have to set up an account for you on the computer, but that can wait, since I'm guessing you don't want to see my underwear all over the floor."

"You'd be wrong there," He grinned cheekily.

Misty blinked at him. "I'm sorry?"

_Oh, right. Weird kids, _Ash thought, an eyebrow raising. "It's nothing. We get a computer?"

He rushed to keep up with the girl, her strides long and quick as she made her way out the room and to the elevators, Pikachu bouncing wildly on his shoulder with each heavy step. (_Nice subject, change, Ketchum. You're one good liar, buddy. I think we've determined that these kids have no sexual drive. That's a pretty good thing, considering you can't get any no matter what you do. You know who else won't be able to get any? She's yellow, rides on your shoulder, and is being called a boy._)

"Your Pikachu talks a lot," Misty remarked over her shoulder. "He's cute. Do you have a nickname for him? I know some don't. They don't like to get to close in case their pokémon get taken away. Nothing like getting a new batch of pokémon. That's the first time I ever saw a kid cry, you know that? Took away three of them, saying he was getting to type specific and his team was balanced enough. They had too many weaknesses. It's a pity, the guy was one of the best battlers we had, but that ruined him."

She punched the up button with her left hand and leaned against the wall as the rickety thing groaned. "He's a crazy now. His pills are just one step below mine. I hope Rai's okay. He's been going extra slow lately. You'd figure they'd put an extra electric type down there to give him a break. If not for that, for efficiency's sake. He'll live longer if they wouldn't push him so hard, poor baby. You know there's only twenty pokémon that run this school's electricity?"

The doors slid open and the two stepped inside. "What do you mean he went crazy?"

"He went crazy, that simple. He was crying and screaming and throwing a tantrum. They gave him some pills to calm him down and he's still here. Pretty much all the kids, press three, take some sort of pill to keep them from going insane. Except for Cassidy, Botch, Jessie and James, but that's because they have the best stats." She tapped her chin. "It's not Botch…Huh. It's impossible to remember that boy's name and I have no idea why. Press _three_…and what's your name again? Adam?"

"Ash," He corrected, pressing the button. "Ash Ketchum. I'm from Pewter and-"

"Pewter?" She repeated, looking at him from the corner of her eye. "You don't _sound _like you're from Pewter. You're pretty…" She trailed off, trying to think of a way to put it. Pewter was a tough town, and though the boy wasn't exactly a powder puff, he didn't look like he could stand up to a town like that. On top of it, well, he didn't _look _like a drug addict. If there was one thing Pewter was well known for, it was drugs…and alcohol. "You don't look like you're from Pewter."

"I'm stronger than I look," Ash said indignantly. "Really, just because I'm not buff and tall doesn't mean-"

"Not that," She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you're plenty strong. You've just got…well, you've got a baby face."

The elevator doors slipped open, and she walked out, but Ash stood, a blank look on his face. Meanwhile, Pikachu seemed terribly amused. "Baby face? You mean…you think I'm a little kid or something, right? I'm not just a little kid, y'know! I'm sixteen! How old are you, huh? All cocky! You can't be any older than I am!"

"I'm eighteen," She retorted coolly. "There's nothing wrong with a baby face. Don't just stand there, hurry up. I didn't mean you were young or weak. Men older than you and stronger than you have faces just like yours. You look young. You're not very intimidating and you just don't seem like you're someone from Pewter. But if you're from Pewter, maybe it's changed in the past couple of years or there's some kind of circumstance I don't know about. I'm sure you're plenty strong."

(_I think you were just insulted,_) Pikachu grinned, leaping gracefully from his shoulder and bouncing up on Misty's.

"Hey! Where are you going?" He cried, chasing after the rodent. He was soon right behind them, glaring over Misty's shoulder at the cooing rat in Misty's arms. "You're awfully good at petting him. I'm sure you're pokémon love you." The second he finished speaking, he furiously mouthed '_get on my shoulder! You'll get us caught!'_

(_I only stay with winners,_) She purred, much to Ash's displeasure.

"Oh, I'm not allowed to have any pokémon," Misty shook her head. "They always give me loaners to battle with, but I'm not allowed to actually keep any. I'd get in a heap of trouble if I did. Besides, I'm not too smart. I'd probably just mess up. Though, there's no rule against me touching a pokémon. I've got no problems playing with yours, the cutie. Aren't you a sweet boy? Nicest little thing I've ever seen. He's so friendly! How'd you get him to be like that?"

"Well, he's typically a one person pokémon," Ash muttered. Which, he mused, wasn't exactly a lie. Pikachu was plenty sociable, never exactly snapping or sparking at people and always tolerating a pat or two, but he had never seen her on her back, leaning into every touch. The mouse hardly ever let him get that close unless they were alone, and yet, here she was, with someone she'd known for only a minute. "You seem pretty, ah, good with pokémon."

"Do I? Well, pokémon just tend to like me. I don't know, I guess it's the difference between being a parent and babysitting. As for your Pikachu," He wrinkled her nose and returned her attention to the happily squirming creature in her arms. "It's just so cute! I don't see how something like this could only hog one person. You have him sit on your shoulder all the time, don't you? Maybe he's just been getting more sociable over the years. Or, maybe, he just likes girls. He's just a little playboy, huh, you little sweetie?"

"Sure, little playboy," Ash agreed absently.

Misty drew close to the door and turned the handle. There was no lock, no key, just a smooth opening door she faded behind. This would have been fine, if she hadn't taken Pikachu with her and did something that _sounded _an awful lot like a lock clicking into place on the inside.

"Hey, ah, Misty. Not to be picky or anything, but I like to have Pikachu close to me at all time. By all times I mean, ah, could you just toss huh.-er, I mean, could you toss him through the door. Not that I don't have other pokémon on me, I do. I'm just not, ah, used to him not being around." His foot began to tap against the floor, licking his lips nervously and wringing his hands. "This isn't cool anymore. Please, hurry up and open the door and just toss Pikachu out! I need her-him. Mew, I don't know why I keep doing that. I think it's because, uh, he replaces my mother and I really, really need him with me. Just bring him out to me!"

She opened the door, Pikachu in her arms and face cool. "Please don't yell at me, Ash. Pikachu was sniffing around. He was curious about the room, alright? I didn't steal him; he's right here. Just breathe, alright? Calm down, take a pill, and relax for a moment. I'll clean up the dirty clothes and, well, you can make your own bed. Just give me a minute, breathe. I just wish they had warned me, or that you weren't a crazy and followed the rules and didn't come into my damn room." She turned away, closing the door a little harder than necessary, than poking her head out again. "Sorry, that was rude. You're not crazy. At least, I don't think." She held up her hands, then closed the door, hiding away again.

The first thing she did was shove her wrist into her mouth and bite down. Her eyes screwed shut and she moaned clenching her fists tightly. Of course! That damn Pikachu! The first thing it had done was start sniffing at her pack. It was crazy to think, but somehow it knew! It knew about the _only _rule she dared to break and it was going to tell Ash! It would tell him and she'd be out on the streets and she'd die! She knew it, oh, even worse! They'd take them away and call her a defect and burn her along with the rest of the broken people.

She opened her bag then, breaths coming heavy and wild. Her hands were itching to take a pill, but she couldn't right then. She had to think clearly. Each pokeball was taken out with care: A psyduck, a corsola, a gyrados, a starmie, a staru and a politoad. She counted them, over and over just to be sure they were there, then stashed them under her mattress, whispering pleas to stay inside for a while and promising she'd let them out as soon as she could. Then she made her bed again, smoothing the sheets and fluffing the pillows before turning to the rest of the room.

It was cleaned quickly, everything tossed down and hidden before she took another deep breath and let him in. She was surprised at his reaction, rushing in the room and crashing on the bottom bunk, bouncing on the mattress a bit and sounding a bit disgruntled at the lack of springiness. He then prowled around the rest of the room, surveying his surroundings much like his Pikachu had until he had gone to every point in the room. Then he sat down a the computer, looked over his shoulder, and gave her his trademarked lopsided smile.

"Let's make my account."

"Who says you get one?" She retorted, strolling over. "Maybe we'll just have to share one. I don't appreciate being ordered around, Ashton. In fact, I absolutely hate it. You're lucky I don't just shut down the computer and leave you to suffer without an account. You'll have a hard time e-mailing papers if you can't type them up."

"I'll write them!" He retorted proudly.

"They won't take them unless your handwriting is very, very, neat. From what I've notice, loud people, especially loud _boys_, do not have neat handwriting." She knocked off a stack of notebooks and sat on the desk, the only chair being filled by Ash, and gave a tiny smirk. "So, Ashton, are you an exception to the rule? Do you have gorgeous handwriting that everyone can read? If not, you better be prepared for failure."

He glared up at her, rocking onto the back two legs of his chair. "The name's Ash, not Ashton. My mom named me Ash. It says so on my birth certificate."

She tapped her chin, pretending to think. "We could always make a deal, Ashton. You could do your best to stop ordering me around and I can try my best to stop calling you Ashton. If that deal's in place, there's no reason why I wouldn't be able to set up an account on the computer. You could even choose the color of your screen if I'm in a giving mood. What do you say, Ketchum? Will you take it or leave it?"

"I'll take it, but you're mean," Ash said, getting out of the chair and letting her take over. "So, Misty, I guess we're going to be stuck here for a while. Anything to tell me? Do you snore? Talk in your sleep? Have a boyfriend who sneaks over every night or something like that? I won't mind. I'm used to all three."

"Life partners are based on breeding potential and hand selected for compatibility by Team Rocket, you know that. I don't know if I snore or anything. I've never had a roommate before. I'm sure I'll do something. I hope it won't be too annoying." She shrugged. "Then again, I wouldn't mind having a room all too myself again. It's only been a few minutes and you're already annoying the hell out of me. Are you sure you don't want to do us both a favor and switch? Get a roommate who's used to people? Or, better, a roommate that's used to slightly crazy people." She slammed her hand on the desk, startling Pikachu into giving off a little spark. "I'm sorry, Ketchum. I'm not supposed to do that."

"It's fine," Ash grinned. "Besides, you just reminded me. What's your last name?"

"Don't have one," She retorted coolly. "I never have. I'm sure Earl told you the story. I came in all wild and crazy. They don't know where I came from, but I'm lucky they let me live here and they didn't leave me out to die. I'm grateful." She typed a few more keys and turned to him. "It's better to have a number than a name. It's better to be here than to be out there, dying like all those other people. I got lucky, terribly lucky, and I'm grateful every minute of every day. I don't have family; I don't have friends, but as long as I stay here I'll be taken care of. Hey, I might even get a job one day if I ever smarten up."

Ash shook his head, not understanding at all. "How could you say that? Wouldn't you rather have a family that loves you and cares for you and-"

"Can't feed me? A family that would need me to work in a factory, in some mindless post-war nightmare while I looked up at this big building every day and wondered: What if I was rich? What if I could have a better life? It's better this way. If I have a surviving family, they think I'm dead and can move on with one less mouth to feed. If they're dead, well, then it's definitely better to be in here and alone than out there with backstabbing city kids."

Ash chuckled, "Come on, city kids aren't all that bad. _I'm _a-"

"And the only things worse than a city kid are those Rebellion bastards," She snapped. "We've got it good here. It may not be perfect, but Team Rocket's trying to make it better! Everything's so organized, so perfect, even genetically they're fixing everything up! The weak die out and the strong produce, like science says it's supposed to be. People are put where they need to be, doing what they're best at. The useless are at the useless jobs and the smart control the useless. The system is perfect, and one of these days, when the smoke clears, it'll be sunny in Kanto again and Team Rocket will be at the head of it all."

Ash swallowed thickly. "I don't really get the Rebellion either. What's to fix? Team Rocket will take care of it."

"Your voice sounds strange," She told him, searching his eyes. "It's tight. You're nervous about something. What upset you? You don't believe in what I just said, I take it? Let me guess, one better! You're an undercover Rebellion agent sent here to gather information and take down the school and the entire organization." She snorted. "What a laugh. I'm sure if the Rebellion sent someone it'd be someone a little more intimidating than you. And the Rebellion sure as hell wouldn't be stupid enough to send then in the middle of the school year. That'd do nothing but raise suspicion about the kid. Plus, what kind of agent gets nauseous?"

Ash snorted. "Right. What kind? It wasn't what you said, really, it was how you said it. I've never really heard someone talk about something like that with…" He blew out. "Fire in their voice. It's crazy. It's pretty awesome to find someone who goes all out like that. Most of the kids here seem pretty goal oriented."

She growled under her breath. "Lost my fucking temper _again._" Misty reached into her pocket, frantically digging around until she pulled out a pill, swallowing it in a single gulp and dragging herself to her bed. "Feel free to screw with the computer. I've got firewalls and all sorts of things set up. You won't break it unless you take a bat to it. I'm going to sleep. We'll see how it all goes in the morning, alright?"

"Wait!" He said suddenly. "I, uh, mean, don't you want to stay up or something? It's early. It's…it'd not even five you can't go to bed, can you? We can talk or you can show me how to play a game on the computer. I still don't know a lot about here, and you said you've been here for years so you can show me, can't you?" He grinned, eyes big and hopeful, looking as excited as a kid in a candy store. He didn't look sly or controlling, just looking like he wanted to spend time with her, to not be alone.

She turned her back on him and sighed. "Ash, I'm not sleeping. I took a pill, and that should keep me calm until it's time to go to sleep. There's no games on there, Ash, the only games are the ones downstairs, and those are mostly simulators or only for one person. Besides, maybe you should socialize. Talk to other people. They'll give you help if you ask and maybe you'll find someone to be in a study group with."

He looked at Pikachu with despair, hoping that she would somehow help get Misty out of bed, but she only gave him a passing glance before resuming her adventure around the room, sniffing and scuttling to figure out the strange scents. She must have smelled something, because she certainly hadn't been this interested in anything before.

"Hey, Misty. Do you have anything in your room? Food? Apples? Ketchup?" He asked, walking closer. "Misty?"

She didn't respond, eyes half closed as she looked at the wall.

If she wasn't drugged up, she probably would have been wondering why his Pikachu wasn't in a pokeball, like most pokémon were supposed to be. She would have been wondering why the boy didn't have the proper accent, or how holes were popping up in his story in every direction. She also would have wondered why he was so out of sync with the school, especially since Pewter was just a hop, skip and a jump away. Then, there was the instinctual vibe she got from him: something vibrating and making her heart grip a bit with terror, telling her something was just a little too different with him to possibly be safe.

But she was drugged up. Misty was relaxed and calmed with her pills and her warm, hard bed that she had been sleeping in for the past thirteen years.

On top of that, Misty was undeniably stupid. She knew it, and she knew she couldn't change it. She would never be believed, and couldn't be believed. So, even if any of these thoughts had run through her drug addled mind, she would have denied them. As possibly the only one in the school with a fresh enough mind and a close enough relationship to figure out Ash Ketchum was a round peg in a square hole, she denied the possibility of her suspicions being correct and thus aided him immensely on his quest.

So, for the first time in her life, number 1163169F was exactly what Team Rocket made her out to be: stupid.


	3. Battles

_**Battles**_

The first thing she did in the morning was to shove her hand under her mattress and feel the smooth, tinted metal of her pokeballs. Well, second to only redoing her ponytail, but that was an old habit. Her eyes closed at the soothing feeling, counting to six again and again to assure herself they were still there. She half expected Psyduck's to be missing; the dumb creature had taken to carrying its pokeball around with it wherever it went, even gnawing at it once or twice and doing its very best to keep her from returning him to the contraption. But, he hadn't taken it during the night, and she was safe. For once, she was not going to get in any kind of trouble, get yelled at, or reported.

That is, she was kind of hoping it wouldn't happen. Then a wet nose began to prod against her wrist, sending a surprised chill up and down her spine. Misty managed to stifle a cry as she sat up, short hair spinning about her and stinging the sides of her face. One hand stayed clasped over her mouth and she turned to stare at the rodent, its tail flicking with agitation as if it had been a terrible crime the redhead had been surprised. Then, it abruptly turned away and began to shove its nose at her mattress.

"You get away from there," Misty scolded firmly. "There's no food there for you. Scoot."

(_Something smells funny. What do you have down there?_) Pikachu asked, stopping to chat with her before digging her nose back down.

A firm hand scooped under the rat's stomach, lifting her to feminine curves and dropping a hand over her muzzle. Little sparks flew from Pikachu's cheeks, catching Misty's arms and making the muscles twitch beneath. "Listen, cutie, you can't go there. I know it smells different and you might here a couple of things but nothing's hurt and nothing's bad. You don't have to worry for your own safety or Ash's or anyone else's. Please stop zapping me and go curl up in your bed. I'm not out to hurt _anyone_, even you, even now."

Pikachu calmed, her ears moving up to listen, then relaxing, slightly cocked towards her skull. The sparks finished coming, but her nose still twitched. The girl smelled like pokémon, _lots _of pokémon, with a soft generic soap scent tangled in. Pikachu could hear Misty's heart pounding, slowing now, but with athletically strong beats that most people in the school didn't have. Her heart beat like Ash's, her scent smelled like Ash's, the lulling voice was like Ash's, and most important was the soft hand scratching the top of her head. The girl felt like Ash.

"Huh. That's weird."

Misty jumped, instinctively tightening her grip on Pikachu. She had been _quiet._ At least, she thought so. Still, the boy was on his side, looking up at her with a puzzled look, hair wild with sleep and eyes drooping."You're awake."

"Been awake," Ash shrugged. "I can't believe you picked up Pikachu like that. Sh…he usually zaps anyone who does that. You're sure you've never had a pokémon before? Not even, y'know, when you were really little? Before you came here? A lot of parents gave their kids pokémon at birth to protect them so-"

"No, Ashton," She glared. She unraveled her arms from the little body, letting it scamper away and onto Ash's shoulder. "I'm telling you, I never had pokémon and I never did. You'll do best to remember that. I'm not going to listen to you rant about this nonstop. I don't ask you questions about your past, so don't ask questions about mine." Misty made sure to glare at him, meeting his eyes, but instead of the typical recoil he blinked, then yawned and scratched his head contentedly. She huffed and jumped out of bed.

"You're calling me Ashton? That's going to be what you call me whenever you're angry. I hate Ashton. I didn't mean to get on your bad side, honest. I'm curious! I'm sorry if I've offended you. I'll try not to 

do it anymore. It's just weird to me, alright? I've never…No one handles Pikachu like you do. He's not nice to other people. He's…tolerant, but not nice. There's got to be something strange, good strange, not bad strange or anything, about you that makes him do that. I just wanted to know." Ash watched her as, back to him, she stripped her shirt off before pulling on a new one, and shorts following suit.

His face turned red and his voice squeaked, "What are you doing?"

"Most people have the common decency to turn away when a member of the opposite sex is changing," She said coolly, striding to pick up her red bag. "Since I have no attraction to you and you, hopefully, have no attraction of any sort to me, I have no problem stripping to my underwear and changing in front of her. It's no more revealing than a bathing suit. So, man up. Where's your first class, Ketchum? I've got enough time to show you where it is."

He grinned, an unnervingly cheerful gesture that made her double take. No one smiled that big, and _definitely _not before noon. "Where's your first class?"

She fumed, clutching the fabric of her bag and wringing it. This boy was starting to not only annoy, but aggravate. The second they were in the class, ooh, she was taking a whole handful of pills to get him to leave her alone. She wished she could kill the little monster, who could not seem to wipe the smile off his face. "You're a morning person, aren't you?"

Ash leaned back and widened his grin, looking more like a child than ever. "Actually, I'm just a people person."

She glared, debating whether or not to kick him, just once, and run before he could put up a complaint. She decided in the end that she would have to restrain herself and that she really needed a pill. "I'm a very busy girl, Ash. If you have the same classes at me, well, there's absolutely nothing I can do about that. Besides, I'm sure you'll be smart enough to keep away from me during the day. You'll have lessons to learn and teachers to listen to. You'll do your best to ignore me, won't you? You and your rat?" She arched her eyebrow at the little thing, which had condemned itself in her eyes just this morning.

"Why would I ignore you?" Ash asked. "I'm gonna fail my classes anyway."

"No, you're not," Misty snapped. "The last thing I need is for you to fail and for them to pin it on me. I'm not well received at this place. If you go and screw up and pin it on me, ooh," She let out a frustrated moan and stomped up to him. "I swear in the name of every Legendary you've ever heard of and a whole bunch you haven't that I'll kill you before they can drag me off. I don't need trouble, especially from some baby faced new trainer, who can't even figure out the most basic rules in Team Rocket society! You get me so worked up I could just…" The threat trailed off into another frustrated moan, as the boy did nothing but continually stare up at her with a wide smile.

"You could just what?" Ash giggled. "Kill me? You already said that."

She clenched her fists. "You don't want to screw with me, Ash. I'm not your normal girl. I'm stronger than you think; I'm faster than you think; I've taken on bigger men than you. I suggest you at least _pretend _to be scared and hope I declare mercy on your soul."

Ash stood up, bringing them perhaps six inches from one another and brushed off his pants. Pikachu skidded down his back, plopping on the bottom bunk and looking up with excited eyes. Ash's arms may have been down, but his feet were placed defensively. He wouldn't be easy to knock down, not with his feet spread and angle like they were, not with his muscles tight and ready to spring. He was getting ready for some kind of fight. Pikachu couldn't imagine what, since the smile was still on his face and him in no way prepared to fight back. Misty did not look like a pushover is Pikachu's eyes, but she assumed Ash knew what he was doing. She also assumed that Ash was an idiot, and brought a spark to her cheeks.

"Hit me," He demanded, arms spread to his sides.

"I'm not going to hit you," She snorted, taking a step back. "Do you know what sort of trouble I'll get in if I do?"

"You're obsessed with this getting in trouble thing, aren't you?" Ash said, rolling his eyes with exaggerated patience. "I'm not a tattle tale. I won't tell, so you only have to worry if you kill me. I don't think you can explain that to the teachers. But, you can hit me. I'm not too scared. I can defend myself, especially with Pikachu here. Besides, you're just a girl. I've taken on bigger men than you." He mocked her words with a snicker.

She narrowed her eyes. "No way in hell. If I hit you I'm in deep trouble. I'm not going to hit you unprovoked, just if you get me kicked out of here."

"Fine then, I'll 'provoke' you," He retorted, putting air quotes around provoked. He brought his hands to her shoulder and lightly pushed her backwards. It surprised him a bit, the girl only waved in place, not taking a single step backward. "Consider yourself provoked. If you want, I can do it harder. Now, hit me. Just really give it to me. If we're sharing a room I wanna know if I should sleep at night or have Pikachu keep watch." He smiled again, this one a more teasing smile.

She didn't like that. He was acting like they were friends. "You smile too much."

"Yeah? Well, you don't smile enough," Ash returned. "Now, come on already! Hit me!" He shoved her shoulders this time, still keeping in mind that he didn't know her strength, and was almost relieved when one foot had to go back to catch her. The relief quickly faded when she turned and marched to the door.

"I'm going to give you a minute to get dressed." She faced the door and leaned her head against it. "I don't trust you, so I'm staying here. The second I hear you doing something you shouldn't, I'm taking out the gun I've got hidden in here. I'll make it look like a suicide. They train you to do that here, you know. It's an elective."

Ash rolled his eyes, hesitant to change with a girl in his room. "Yeah, yeah. Real funny. You got me, Mist."

"My name is Misty, and it wasn't a joke."

"Oh come on, like I'd believe that," Ash snorted, tension starting to rise in his chest. "I mean, you don't really kill people. You couldn't. They wouldn't have an actual class to learn to kill people! No one would take it, not when they found out it was all for real. They wouldn't let you have a gun either. If they don't let you have a pokémon, there's no way they'd let you have a gun, right?" He smiled again, this one nervous and followed by a laugh. "You couldn't have a gun. No one in their right mind would let you have a gun."

"What do you think I have under the mattress?" She said, voice cool. She bit her lip and tried to quiet the giddy fluttering in her chest. His reactions were _hilarious_, especially the way she could hear his breath quicken and how she positively _knew _his heart was going wild in his chest. "Do you really want to try a crazy lady, Ashton?"

He almost fainted with relief. There wasn't much, but there was a bit of amusement in her voice. She didn't have a gun. Though, it was sparking curiosity as to what she was hiding under her bed. He would get to it later. She had to leave him alone in the room at some point, and then he could look under and have his nosy ways satisfied. With that, he went about changing into the clothes he hadn't yet unpacked from his suitcase. He tugged on another black shirt, another pair of worn jeans (too 

terrified to change his underwear in case she accidentally turned around) and completed his outfit by retying his shoes.

The boy eyed the thing hanging off his bedpost, Pikachu clamping it in her teeth to bring it to him, but stopping when he held up his hand. Quietly, keeping his eyes on Pikachu and hope in his heart, he asked, "What's the rule on hats?"

"Misty," the teacher asked, raising an eyebrow at the strangely dressed young man entering his classroom. "You…brought a friend?"

"Please, in the name of all that is good, don't call him that," Misty muttered, the stress beginning to get to her. "His name is Ash Ketchum and he's a new student here. I wouldn't call him a friend, more of an acquaintance. Something went terribly wrong up at the office and now he shares a room with me. He's in your class, so if you could take him off my hands and show him the ropes, I'll resign myself to the back of the class. Hell, I promise to sleep through your class if you promise to take him off my hands for a while."

Mr. Audley nodded briefly as the rest of the students began to wander in his class, most looking dazed, a few looking focused. "I'll take him off your hands for the class, Misty. I would appreciate it if you didn't sleep through my class? I don't talk for my health, but for your own good. There's plenty you could learn if you try. I'm sure those with an even lower Battle IQ than you could learn just fine, especially in an interesting topic like history."

Misty, for the first time he had ever seen it, grinned. It was the wide, crazy, lopsided smile she had learned from Ash just this morning. It looked ridiculous on her, proving her next sentence to be sarcastic: "Oh, really? I could learn? What a dream come true! I always thought that because of my ridiculously low Battle IQ I'd be lonely forever and forced to sit in the back of classrooms while teachers picked on me and students mocked me and the teacher allowed it because he had no backbone and really didn't give a damn about me. But now, oh no! Thanks to you I can learn and be the best history student in the world! That will be useful in a career with Team Rocket: an idiot who can recite Homer. I'll be in the back, soaking up every single word you say." And she turned abruptly and walked to the back of the room.

Ash giggled, coming over with a pokémon skeleton on his hand. He made it talk with his words: "Wow, she really made you seem like an ass, didn't she, Professor?"

The man glared, fingers drumming on the desk. "Ash Ketchum please put that back, find an unoccupied seat and sit down."

Misty looked over from her spot, now nicely settled in with the ratatas once more. Fighting back the amusement she was sure would turn into a real smile, she looked closely at the thing in Ash's hand. She wasn't sure if it was what she thought it was, and on closer examination, she discovered her assumption was correct. "Hey, Ashton! You do know that's from an actual ratata, not a toy skull, don't you?"

He jumped like the thing had bitten him and sent it to the floor with a loud "Holy crap!" His new teacher merely grit his teeth tighter, stared straight ahead and snarled, "Ash Ketchum, please pick that up, put it back, find an unoccupied seat, and sit down. The rest of you, please get out your notebooks. This probably won't be on your test, but the information will be useful in your future. I assume most of you are planning to stay with Team Rocket, and you'll probably have to deal with pesky Eggborns. We'll have a debate on them. One person will be for the annihilation, the other against. James, you'll be the side for. Misty can argue against. To the front of the class if you will?"

Misty swore under her breath, hand halfway to her pocket to retrieve a pill. It looked like that would have to wait a little while longer for her teacher to extract his revenge. She definitely couldn't take a pill before a debate, regardless of the fact that she was going to throw it. The last thing she needed was to add a drug addled state to the list of thing her fellow peers saw her as. She hated this man; at least, she certainly hated him today. It was just a smart comment or two! He was going now and practically sacrificing her to the wolves. James wasn't exactly bright, but he did have his back up: Jessie.

Jessie wasn't the brightest tool in the shed either, but her deep red hair brought a temper unbridled by pills. Her school tuition was being paid by James' rich family. This brought the oh-so-wonderful bribe of no pills, no rules, and no self control; setting the girl free from the bonds most had to live through. She was never reprimanded, and often yelled at whoever James was battling against, whether it was a battle of pokémon or wits. Typically, the teachers avoided calling on him for just that reason. Now, it was the very motive that brought him to stand on the other side of the desk, a bored expression on his face.

"A battle of the brains between an idiot and one of the best students in the school, I wonder who will win?" He said sarcastically.

Misty decided that comment did not deserve a retort. "Eggborns are human, James. Whether they evolve or they have some kind of disability, they're human. We shouldn't kill them because morality suggests otherwise." She glanced at Mr. Audley. "How's that for the typical argument, sir? I suppose you want me to act like a rebellion tree-hugger and fight for the weak and disabled. I can do that, but is there really a point."

He looked at her idly. "I want you to say whatever comes from your heart. When you've got a gun in your hand or a pokémon ready to strike, what would you say in your heart that would force you to drop that gun away from your target? What would stop you, other than the fact that a human face is looking at you and morality, from pulling the trigger or giving the command and just ending the life right then and there."

She looked James in the eye, as if her comment was directed at him. "As a Team Rocket agent I would never, _ever _hesitate in killing a target. I don't have a thing in my heart for Eggborns, and they can all rot in hell for all I care. They aren't human. They're barely anything more than a pokémon. It's just a pokémon that learned to talk." She wasn't exactly sure who she was talking to, who this agent-proving speech was for, but she had a sneaking suspicion that there should have been a mirror where the blue-haired boy's face should have been.

"And I'm sure you have the same attitude towards rebellion scum and defects," Mr. Audley said, waving it away. "Now that you've done such a wonderful job keeping yourself moral, why don't you do what your told and argue in the name of Eggborns?"

"Excuse me, sir?" Ash piped up from the back. His hand was half raised, as if nervous about his suggestion. "If Misty has such a big problem with the topic, I can argue for Eggborns and rebellion scum and all that. I've got no problems with it. I'm sure everyone here knows where I stand if I'm in this school, and I've always loved going against the crowd. I can make a really good argument if you let me."

"There's no way you'd be able to beat James anyway," Jessie snorted, arms crossed. "You're just the new kid, how could _you _ever hope to defeat James? He's the best rocket member to ever walk these halls and his name is going to be forever immortalized in the history books, right next to mine! You've only been here a couple minutes and you're already acting high and mighty. You're supposed to take those little white things in the bottle, Ashton. They're good for you. They'll help you fit in."

Ash glared at the name. Pikachu dug her claws into his shoulder, agreeing with his temperament. "I've got friends outside, so I don't have to worry about fitting in here. And who says I'm going to be 

arguing against James? I'm sure –name- wouldn't mind me arguing against Misty. That _is_ what this is all about, isn't it, sir?"

The man drummed his fingers on the desk, looking quite displeased with Ash's assumptions. "No, Ash, it isn't. I'm not looking to single out a student. But if you would prefer to argue against Misty instead of James you'll have to take it up with him. If he's fine with it, so am I."

All eyes, lazy, angry, and two sets of female eyes pleading no turned to James. He shuffled, a bit uncomfortable at the attention. "Uh, sure. We can trade if you want. I'd rather not argue against an Eggborn anyway."

"I'm _not _an-" She began, face flushing with anger.

"And what's so bad about being an Eggborn, Misty?" Ash said, launching into the debate. He raced to the front of the classroom with boyish excitement, almost pushing James out of his way as he took his spot by the desk. "You're stronger as an Eggborn, faster, mature quicker, you said yourself you wanted to be a Team Rocket agent. If Team Rocket accepted Eggborns, and you _were _an Eggborn, you'd easily pass the rest of the students. You'd be the best battler too, since Eggborns are classified as pokémon you could step into a battle yourself and fight."

"Yes, but I'd be stupid and dangerous," She retorted, glaring. "That's the biggest problem. Power and restraint go hand in hand, Ketchum." A smirk dotted across her features. "You wouldn't quite understand why it's so dangerous, since you don't really have to hold your strength back for anything, but those of us who actually work out and look like healthy, strong adolescents get my point. The point is, though Eggborns are plenty powerful, stronger than most pokémon at their second stage, they have absolutely no idea how to control themselves. Pokémon don't even approach them, because Eggborns have absolutely no concept of their own power. They could easily kill hundreds and then feel no guilt about it."

"And how do you know that they don't feel guilt?" Ash countered.

The teacher cleared his throat. "You're arguing facts now, Mr. Ketchum. I'm afraid you can't do that. It's been well established that they can't feel guilt. That's not the topic up for debate."

"Isn't it?" Ash snapped. "How do we know _for sure _that they can't feel? For the longest time people were sure that pokémon didn't have the ability to think logically, use memes instead of just relying on instinct but that was proven wrong just about twenty years before the war. Besides that, we know Eggborns have human sized brains and have the same receptors. If some are broken it might only take a few simple surgeries to fix them up if anyone would ever bother."

"And how do you propose we tie down and knock out one long enough to perform the surgery? The first few times would be a waste of money, just tests. And, even proposing that we do manage to fix them up, there's no point in keeping them alive. They're still dangerous and if the surgery reverses itself during a fight or extermination field agents could die. The losses we would suffer completely outweigh the gains."

"Why would the surgery reverse?"

"_Because_, stupid, the brain is a tricky topic. Even the best surgeons are baffled by it! The risks are too high."

Ash opened and closed his mouth once, then clenched his fists. "_Fine_, the Eggborn could relapse. They're human, whether we like it or not, and they could easily be killed with a bullet. In case of a relapse, all a Rocket would have to do is take out a gun and nail 'em. They'll have plenty of warning, and an Eggborn can't take out a hundred people without at least one survivor noticing. They'd be 

beneficial and easy to terminate if one went rogue. As the research shows, they're socially and logically inept. They wouldn't see the bullet coming."

Misty scanned his face, feeling something like guilt climbing into her throat. He was actually _arguing_. It was not the sarcastic, regular comments she was used to. He was arguing like what he said here could make a difference. He was arguing like he cared. The closer she looked, the more she realized. He _did _care. But why _would _he care? It wasn't as if he thought them human. He couldn't! No one thought they were real people, not anymore, and definitely not anyone who made it inside Rocket walls. Somehow, though, the thought of their death seemed to get him choked up and nervous, make his Pikachu prance on his shoulder like they were talking about people.

"They could kill a hundred at once, more than. They've been known to produce one attack, a Hyperbeam, but an impossibly strong, deadly Hyperbeam," Misty swallowed. "Could you risk the destruction of all those members and still let yourself sleep at night, knowing that hundreds of living, thinking beings were sacrificed for that one? Isn't it better for one to die than for hundreds? It's all a matter of safety, not choice. We have _no choice _but to kill them."

Ash glared. "How about no one has to die if people are willing to put in the time and research to help those who can't help themselves?"

"Well that…" Misty trailed off, unsure how to counter. "That's just not the way things are. That's an idealistic world that wouldn't ever happen.'

"Maybe it's idealistic, but it's possible, Mist," Ash said, tense muscles loosening. The last sentence wasn't for the class, for the teacher. It was just to prove _her _wrong. To the rest of the class, he was backing out of the argument, letting her win. "Maybe you're right. They should be annihilated, for the safety of the ones that matter. But if there ever was a surefire way to make sure they wouldn't go crazy, what do you say? Would you keep them or kill them?"

"No such thing as a sure thing," Misty shrugged, turning away and replacing the ice in her voice. As she wandered to the back of the room, to her seat among the pokémon, she finished. "I say we kill them all. They're not real people anyway."

And she swallowed another pill.

* * *

"Today's a battle day," Misty explained, gathering up her notebooks and stuffing them in her bag. "We have them once a week. Follow me, just like you've been doing the whole day, and I'll take you down to the arena. I go down early, because they let me battle first, loose and get all the embarrassment out of the way before all the students come in."

Study hall was over, and Ash had followed her even there. He had been in every class with her. Even, to her dismay, gym class, where she had to pair up with him and play badminton. This, as she discovered, was absolutely the worst sport ever invented, because the harder you hit the birdie, the weirder path it traveled. You couldn't do anything when your opponent insisted on calling you "Mist" and teased about everything from boyish attitude and looks to scrawny arms that couldn't snap a twig in two, let alone his arm. If one tried to hit the birdie into his head, it would merely clash into the net, infuriating the insulted girl more and only provoking more insulting comments from the black haired bastard (as she had come to know him as).

"Do you try to battle, or do you let them win? If I was you, I'd train up a pokémon real strong and come in and kick all their asses from here to Hoenn. That way they wouldn't screw with you anymore. If you beat them in a fair pokémon battle, there's nothing they can say! They'll leave you alone, then. If they try to say it wasn't fair, I'd stick up for you. I'd send out Pikachu to kick their butts. He's really good at revenge, aren't you buddy?" Ash scratched her behind the ear and giggled as it leaned into his touch. "You want to hold him, Misty? I'm going to grab a ketchup packet out of my backpack for him. He loves those, apples too!"

She eyed him. "Why do you insist on keeping that rat outside its pokeball? You're going to get in trouble."

"Why are you obsessed with trouble?" Ash retorted. "His pokeball broke and I'm waiting for it to get repaired. Aside from that, he doesn't like to be in his pokeball. No one's said anything yet, so I don't see why I have to. I've got a theory as to why you're obsessed with trouble, do you want'ta hear it, Mist?"

"My name is Misty, and no, I don't want to hear your stupid theory." She growled.

Ash grinned and gave the shoulder Pikachu was sitting on a little shrug. The pokémon scampered down and over to Misty, giving the bright eyed girl shivers as little claws and paws scrambled up her spine and cuddled onto her collarbone. "See, I think it's because when you were little you got in a whole mess of trouble and you got punished really bad for something you didn't know was trouble, so now you're extra cautious to be sure that you never, ever get in any kind of trouble ever again. That's it, isn't it?"

"No," Misty shook her head. "I just don't like getting into trouble."

"Oh, come on," Ash grinned, spinning in front of her and walking backwards. "Just picture it: It's dark out. It's not inside dark, like when someone turns the lights out, but it's outside dark. All you've got is the stars to guide you. And you're okay with that, know why? Because you're on an adventure and when people go on an adventure, people don't think about how dark it is. They're just excited about the moment and the trouble."

Misty rolled her eyes. "Alright and why am I outside after dark? That's against the rules."

"Misty!" He cried, stretching out her name. "You're missing the whole point! You're outside after dark because, well, because you don't want to follow the rules! You're a rebel! You're a crazy, excited rebel and you're having a good time in the dark! So you're with me, alright? See, I'm a rebel too. I break rules all the time! So we're running, running as fast as we can outside, and then we stop. We're at…at a river! That's it. And it's gurgling and dark but you can sort of see the white where it blasts over the rapids. It's making that sound water makes when it hits stuff like that, that whooshing sound that makes you stop and listen. We kneel by the stream and…and then we hear it! There's a teacher outside patrolling the yard."

Misty felt slightly dreamy. The boy wasn't exactly the best with words, but he sure had a wonderful voice. It was soothing, smooth, almost romantic at his went on. He had that excited boyish undertone, and even Pikachu seemed to relax during his little speech. She scolded herself for the next words, practically encouraging him to go on, but she couldn't stop them: "It would be a groundskeeper, if someone caught us."

His fight lit up even more. "Alright then, a groundskeeper is coming. He jingles when he walks, because he needs the keys to get into his shed and the school and the car and all sorts of places. He's got as many keys as a janitor. He's getting closer and closer, and you don't know what to do. Your heart's getting ready to burst. You sure don't want to be caught, because trouble's always fun but it sucks when you get caught, when suddenly you feel a warm hand on your arm, tugging to get your attention. It's me, and I'm pointing to the river. You know what it means. I'm saying we should dive into the water. Sure, the groundskeeper will hear it and he'll know someone or something was there, but he sure wouldn't know it was us. That's what makes it extra exciting, knowing that they'd be on the lookout the next day for someone who dived in. You don't want to go in. It's cold and you know your clothes probably wouldn't be dry the next day. You know it's you. But I'm tugging harder and harder and harder and harder and finally you jump! The water's all icy on your skin, but you don't mind in the least." He paused.

She focused back in on him, wondering where the story had gone. "What happened then, Ash? Did we get away, did the groundskeeper catch us? Where'd the river take us? I mean, where'd we go, Ash? The story can't just end there."

He shrugged. "Well, it's got to, Misty."

"Why? Aren't you smart enough to think up an ending?"

He shook his head. "Of course not, Mist. I can always think up an end to all my stories. The problem is, I can't think up the ending to real life. I'm no prophet." He grinned at her still puzzled face. "What I mean is that I can't tell you the ending to it all because we haven't done it yet."

"Oho!" Snickered a voice. Misty felt her breath catch when Butch, the turquoise haired jerk, snatched Ash up by the back of the collar and slammed him into the wall. "You two haven't done it yet, have you? I can tell you how it ends. Your little girlfriend there screams like a banshee, you grunt, and a few months later when she starts to show you get your head bashed in for adultery. You can't go and sleep with a girl when you're promised to someone else. Hell, you may not know who it is yet, but you'll get someone. Once you get that someone, you can have all the fun you want. It can end every night, if you get a real good one."

Ash's eyes widened, his face flushing a deep red. "I wasn't talking about that, honest! I just…I just meant that…we were talking about something totally different. I'm not sleeping with Misty or anything, honest. I know it sounds bad but I'd never take advantage of a girl like that! I'm just a kid! I don't even know what you mean by that whole speech. I don't know a single thing about the Pidgey and the Beedrill, though if I did I'd ask why two different species are going at it instead of sticking to a normal relationship. Then again, you can't really help who you fall in love with, right? Er, unless you're human, because Team Rocket chooses who you marry. You're going to kill me now. Crap."

"Butch, drop him," Said a blonde from a bit down the hallway. She walked down the hallway in white high heeled boots that made her height equal to Butch's. Her hair was done up in two pigtails on either side of her head, but it was long enough to cascade around her black Team Rocket uniform. "Poor thing, you're scaring the shit out of him. He's probably messed up enough since he's traveling around with the crazy redhead, huh?"

Misty glared up at the girl, toes curling over the stone floor. "We weren't doing anything, Cassidy. I was just going to…_we _were going to the battle arena upstairs. The regular one. It's battle day and it's my day to be in the regular arena so-"

"You were heading up for a failure," Butch finished, dropping his hold on Ash. The boy didn't run, as expected, but walked over to Misty and stood side by side with her. "Well, well, look at this. I think we did catch an illegal pair. Since this kid doesn't have a uniform and we all know that Misty can't be taking her pills, I think we'll have to assume the worst. What do you say, Cassidy? Should we get them? My pokémon could use a bit of a workout."

Ash's hand dropped to his pokebelt with a grin. "You mean a battle? I'll take both of you on!"

Misty caught his wrist, grip surprisingly tight. "No, Ash, they don't mean like a battle. They mean like they'll take us into a room, tie us up, and beat the crap out of us with their fists and their pokémon. Trust me, keep your hands where they can see them and tell them what wonderful, beautiful, fantastic Rocket Supremes they are. They're the youngest Supremes in the past thirty seven years. They're twenty three."

Ash blinked. "Oh, it's…it's like that?" Misty nodded. Ash swallowed and looked up at them. "Well, I'm…I'm not looking for that kind of fight. I'm not looking for any kind of fight at all. Please don't hurt us. I'm just passing through, and I'm new here. Misty's taking care of me so…we'll be going."

The two grinned and leaned against the lockers. Their boots made them a good three or four inches taller than the younger teens and their grins made them look intimidating. Ash had no doubt that they were just as malicious as they acted, especially with the way Misty seemed to fear them. But, as they walked away they shoved Misty to the ground. That was Ash's final straw.

"Are you insane?" Ash shouted. "You can't just hit someone! We didn't do a damn thing to you and you hit her! I've got pokémon, you know! It may be my first year here, but I've been training these since I was ten and I've been watching battles since I was born! I've got one _helluva _Battle IQ, and I'll take both of you in a battle! Draw your pokeballs, two on one! I'm not scared! You two ought to learn not to abuse your power like that. Power and restraint go hand in hand, y'know!"

Misty saw the hand before Ash did. Butch was reaching for his front pocket. If she was right, that was where he hid the stun gun. She snapped to her feet and shoved him out of the way. The tackle caught him off guard, sending him to the floor with Misty half on top, half to the right of him. The stun gun fired a second later, hitting the spot where they had been, and attaching itself to a very ticked off Pikachu.

As if fate was on their side, it had landed right in the middle of the red dot, sending the charge directly into its stores. It stung at first, her cheeks releasing painful chemicals to stop the electricity from frying her on the spot. The feeling faded quickly, leaving only anger in its place. Pikachu may not have been the most intimidating pokémon to a trainer in a battle, but it was very intimidating angry. Muscles taught, ears pinned flat, and teeth bearing, it topped the threat off with sparking cheeks and a terrifying primal growl. It starred at the Rocket Supremes, the humans stiff with fear, and jerked to make them jump.

"Pikachu knows what a gun is," Ash said, sitting up quickly. "Don't reach for your pockets, he'll zap you and paralyze you for a good while before you can grab it. Go ahead and report us if you want, but I'm warning you right now: if you try anything Pikachu will hurt you bad. I don't control him, not when he gets like this. Back away now while you still have the chance. Please let them go, Pikachu. They don't know what they were doing."

_(Oh yes, yes they do.) _Pikachu snarled. _(I'm not stupid. They tried to hurt you. They can't get away from that. They move and I'll kill 'em. I swear I'll kill 'em!)_

"Please don't Pikachu!" Ash pleaded. "Just run! Go ahead and turn us in if you want, but get out of here before she loses it all together!"

Cassidy glared at him first. "This isn't over, kid, not yet. If you think Rocket Supremes are going to get beaten but some grunt-in-training, you've got another thing coming. You wait. You just wait until you're alone again. We'll get you and take that Pikachu to the Boss. Come on, Butch. We're not turning in some stupid punk like this." The woman yanked his arm hard, pulling him down the hallway and away from the slowly calming mouse.

Misty stared at the ceiling, muttering more to herself than to Ash, "You…you stood up to Rocket Supremes. You chased off Rocket Supremes. You…you_ defied _Rocket Supremes! You can't do that! No one does that! I've gotten beaten up by them hundreds of times, thousands of times, and I haven't done that. You're just a new trainer. You couldn't possibly have done that. Not with your Pikachu. Not with anyone's Pikachu. They're not strong enough pokémon. They're pet pokémon. There has to be an explanation. I have to be dreaming, that's what it is. I fell asleep in study hall and now I'm dreaming about completely impossible things like a Pikachu taking on and defeating Rocket Supremes."

Ash pinched her, startling an 'ouch!' from the girl. "You're not dreaming. I guess they're just cowards, Misty. They ran off the second Pikachu started sparking. It wasn't that big of a deal. It will be next time, though. They'll be prepared next time. I guess I'll have to really train up my pokémon if I'm going to win, huh?"

She sat up and stared at him. "You lie. Where's your Pikachu?"

The mouse bounded over, curling up in Misty's lap with a happy 'cha' sound. She gawked at it, running her hands through its coat. Pikachu allowed the examination, letting herself be turned and touched every which way as Misty tried to prove that, somehow, this little thing wasn't really a Pikachu but another pokémon in disguise. She finally settled for flipping the mouse on its back and scratching its belly lightly. "What did you do? You did some kind of experiment on it, didn't you? You spliced it's genes with a dragon type or some really powerful electric type and made it strong enough to take on anything. Or else…you're a Rocket Supreme in disguise and you're trying to see if I'm doing anything wrong."

He extended his hand to her and tugged her to her feet. "I'm an everyday, ordinary trainer. I'm just very good at training is all. Don't you have a battle to get to?"

She blinked slowly. "Yeah…I think I do. I have a battle. But your Pikachu-"

He laughed lightly, noticing her expression was honestly baffled. His hands found her shoulders with a playful squeeze and led her down the hallway. "Yeah, yeah. My Pikachu took on the Rocket Supremes and your entire world has been flipped upside down. I'm gonna do that a lot more times than one. I've got some really good pokémon. So why don't you explain to me this whole battling thing? If you don't have any pokémon, they give you one?"

"You're not allowed to use your own pokémon," Misty murmured, twisting out of his grip. "You have to use the pokémon provided, everyone does. What you get is really a matter of the luck of the draw. They're all around the same level, depending on how much they think you can handle, and type trumps just happen. There's nothing you can do about it. It's supposed to train you for a real life scenario, since Rockets don't keep their own pokémon. They're constantly rotated so the trainers don't have to rely on them."

"They won't take my pokémon away, will they?"

"No," Misty shrugged. "They'll just make you put them in storage while you raise the level of some of your other pokémon. Then you catch more and you train more…it's just better not to get attached. Unless you make the ultimate type trumping team. I'm sure they'd let you keep it then."

"Storage?" Ash blinked, stopping. "What's storage?"

"Shut up and walk, babyface," She retorted, shoving her hands in the pockets of her self-made shorts and continuing down the hallway. The elevator was close to them, not far at all, and it opened quickly to shoot them up to the appropriate floor. "You been to the battle floor yet, Ash? It's pretty impressive, so I've been told. I don't really notice, but it _is _big." The elevator dinged loudly. "You know, this is the service elevator. I probably shouldn't be taking you to this one, but it's much faster. You haven't been in the regular ones."

"Are they smaller than this?"

"No, much bigger," She shook her head. "It's for battle days like this. You can stuff plenty of students in those."

The doors opened with another ding (apparently the first one had been for show) and revealed a room that stretched far and wide. Probably the most startling was the huge Plexiglas wall in front of them, letting them see the field after field of battling arenas. There was one for each climate: grass, dirt, ocean, rock, and plenty of others. Less impressively, there was a long, narrow hallway and a stone desk directly in front of them. The boy at the desk had short purple hair and was not focusing on the blinking computer, quite possibly used for scheduling fields, but he was staring upwards with an almost angry look, dark game-glasses shielding his eyes.

Misty walked ahead of him, rapping on the desk to make the boy look at her slowly, taking off his glasses and blinking in the daylight. "Arena Seven. They'll issue me a pokémon down there. Where's Kenny and how come you're replacing her?"

"Kenny," The boy said, arching an eyebrow, "is no longer employed at this station. I'm doing this for an extra credit class. Besides, I _know _what's going on with you. And I don't care. The only one I care about is the newbie you brought in. No uniform, a dull, bright expression…" He smirked and looked the uncomfortable Ash up and down. The dull, bright expression that the purple haired boy had described faded quickly. "He looks like a suburban hick."

"I'm not a hick. Why don't ya keep your nose out of other people's business?" Ash glared, bending over the desk to get a better look in his eyes.

"Oh, he talks like a hick too. The pokémon here aren't used to plow the fields, farm boy. They're used for battling. Can you handle that?" The boy sniggered, opening the glasses again and sliding them over his eyes. "Just head down the hall, Misty. They've already got someone down there for you to battle. I don't know about your hick friend here. I'd recommend sending him back to the simulators. He's certainly not going to learn from watching you."

Misty shook her head and grabbed Ash's wrist. "Come on. It's right down the hall here."

She dragged him down the hall to a plain dirt arena, the generic battling arena, and placed her hand on the glass in front of her. A small buzz came from the wall followed by a strange mechanical whizzing. For a moment, as she dropped her hand away, nothing happened. Then the glass swirled a small hole getting bigger and bigger until a large, circle doorway emerged. The two jumped through the hole, Ash fearlessly following the redhead, and made their way to none other than James, standing with a pokeball in his outstretched hands, and Jessie, who was tossing one of her own up in the air.

James tossed it to her; Misty caught it despite the fastball speed and stared. "I don't know what's in it. I asked Paul at the desk and he said that one's for you. We don't know what's in Jessie's either. We don't cheat." The boy grinned. "We steal and lie and trick, but we don't cheat."

Still making her way around the field, she carelessly tossed the pokeball to the center of the ring. It opened and shot back to her hand not a second later, a little white seal dancing around and crying out its name as it made itself comfortable on the field. Ash, for the first time, noticed that it wasn't a regular pokeball. Black on the bottom, white on the top, a red R sprawled over the lighter color. He jumped when it spoke.

"Seal. Moves: Headbutt, Growl, Watersport, Icy Wind, Encore, and Ice Shard. Refrain from using Icy Wind while in the building."

Misty let out a long breath, her lower lip shooting the air up and making the bangs part over her face. "Ah, shit. Next move was rest, couldn't I have gotten rest? I can't use any damn potions; couldn't they have given me rest?"

"Electabuzz. Moves: Leer, Thundershock, Quick Attack, Low Kick, swift, Shock Wave, Light Screen, Thunderpunch." In response to its description, the electabuzz swung its arms with a proud cry. Sparks 

began to fly around it and it grinned a wild, reckless grin. Its coat was smooth and sleek; its eyes were bright and powerful. It was clear that it had the type advantage and, judging by its moves, it probably had the level advantage as well.

Ash was behind her, practically brushing up against her. His voice was low in her ear, a touch of anger. "How do you switch out the pokémon? I can give you one of mine, y'know, have a fair match. You can't let them push you around like this or let that seal get beat up when it doesn't even have a chance! The most important part of being a trainer is knowing when enough is enough so the pokémon doesn't get hurt and this…this is just plain old cheating. The only way they could have made it worse would be to give you a wingull!"

"That was last week," She returned with a roll of her eyes. "Of course it's not fair, Ash. It's never fair, not when I'm battling. Whatever you were before, a Pewter City Punk or a Fuchsia Farm Boy you need to forget everything you learned about battling. The point isn't to have fun, or to get somewhere, or to follow your destiny. The point isn't even to win Ash. It's to make sure your enemy loses. It's to get rid of what doesn't belong for the greater good of society."

"And you don't?" Ash whispered.

"If you must know, neither do you," Misty snorted. "That's why I've been advising you, _desperately _advising you to get the hell away from me. Pretty soon, you'll be facing dugtrio with that pikachu of yours. So, I'll give you the choice right now: Leave and actually have a career, get yourself into the higher ups and be a success, or stay, and get dragged down to hell in a hand basket because you can't get over this strange fixation you have on me."

He grinned. "How well do you know the school, the way it works, and things most people don't really care about?"

She shrugged. "Better than the back of my hand."

"Hell in a hand basket could be fun."

"Are you two lovebirds going to chat or battle?" Jessie raged. Her fists clenched alongside her gnashing teeth and her electabuzz rumbled on the field. If it hadn't been before the start of a battle, they would have laughed at how ridiculous she appeared, her white hot rage somehow looked funny on her.

The two redheads stood with the boys behind them, one furious, one calm and collected while she fingered the pills in her pocket. If one listened intently, one could hear James begging Jessie to calm down, in case it brought shame to the family name. One could hear Ash assuring Misty that he knew the way back to their room and the reply of thank you. One could almost hear the click of pills as her fingers wiggled deeper into her pocket and clasped firmly around the capsule. And, if all else failed, one could at least _see _Misty toss her head back and throw the pill inside.

Misty may have fought her ass off, may have continued to fight her ass off, for Ash's safety, but she would not be embarrassed and fight a battle she could not win. When it was all over, the only battle she would be fighting was wheeling in Seal to the pokémon center and dousing it with health restoring chemicals until it was giving her that same dopey smile and clap, ready to lose the next fight it would be forced into. Hopefully she wouldn't be the one holding the pokeball.

She knew when to battle and when to let it slide. It kept her in the background, safe and out of trouble.

Ash knew how to pick his fights too and with Misty as his toughest challenge yet he was going to be in for a lot of battles.


	4. Water

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, Atari, or any of the games that come with Atari. I do own **_an _**Atari, however.**_

* * *

_**Water**_

The next few weeks were what Ash liked to call 'filler weeks'. It was that wonderful intermission between the introductions to the wild new world and the action as he tried to uncover its mysteries. He did not do much of anything, not really. He got his uniform, had his DNA added to the system, was advised to take his pills, and so on and so on. He made a few decisions along with it, such as not wearing his uniform and not taking the pills. No one called him out on it, and teachers would only blink once or twice before looking away and accepting that this boy would be out of code. Misty would bother him about it, but she did not count; mostly because she was paranoid, and partly because she was just a giant hypocrite.

Possibly the most useful thing he learned in that month was how the glass worked. Misty told him that ingrained in the glass (which you could see if you looked close enough) was millions of small sensors that took in the little bumps and grooves that made up handprints. If he was in the system, which apparently he was now, the glass would respond by opening for thirty seconds, then closing. Many things worked the same way. Computers were on scanners, certain floors (such as the basement) could only be accessed by handprint, and ordinary hands just did not get through the security. Misty had told him she had a special hand, since they never really locked anything into her DNA except her membership to Team Rocket, she could go anywhere she pleased. She teasingly suggested that if Ash was good, she would take him with her. He asked her what if he was very, very bad. She did not get his brilliant innuendo.

And so, poor Ash was bored out of his mind. He spent hours in his room not studying and playing Pong on an impossibly old (yet still working) Atari against Pikachu. Poor Ash typically lost these games, though on closer examination he wondered if Pikachu had rigged the game where his paddle was half the size of hers. It really looked like she did, and she had been known to use her teeth and electricity to break into technology and rewire things, often for the worse, but occasionally for the better.

It was in his sixth week that he threw the tantrum, throwing the joystick across the floor and jumping into bed with a scream. He damned Atari and Pong to hell until Misty walked over and punched him in the groin with the cold, cool accuracy he had gotten used to. This led him to curl up in the fetal position and fight of tears, because Gary would do that to him quite often when he was back with his Rebellion friends, and it somehow made him just a little bit homesick.

She had never left him alone in her room before, not until that sixth week. "Ash, I'm going down to snatch a pair of glasses from the free period place. Your rat broke mine the last time you beat it at Atari. Do you mind telling me when you're going to get that pokeball fixed? I'm sick of all the things that go wrong with that crazy creature running loose."

"He likes his freedom," Ash protested weakly.

She glared. "You lost the pokeball, didn't you?"

Regrettably, there was nothing he could say to that. If he said yes, she would mock him and yell at him and rage about getting a new one. If he said no…he had never been the best liar and he was pretty sure he would not get away with it, not with the pokeball police on his case. "He hasn't zapped you, just your stuff. There's nothing wrong with him running free as long as you don't get hurt, Mist. I swear he won't hurt you. He's cuddly. Hold him, you'll see."

"Ash, I've held Pikachu many a time. I know that it's cuddly." She rubbed her temples. "But it ruined my game. Ash, I almost caught an Articuno. If you had any idea how many ultraballs and hours of training it took to get to the perfect position to catch that icy witch you would put Pikachu in a pokeball too. I swear, I'm playing in the Hoenn region account tonight and if you _dare_ end my game halfway through me catching Kyogre I will take that gun I've got hidden and shoot you in the face. Get it?"

"Got it."

"Good," Misty nodded. She walked to the door, laying her hand on the handle, then sighed. "Ash, do me a favor and don't go through all my stuff, alright? I know you want to find the gun or see what I've got hidden under the mattress but I'm actually taking the time and making the effort to trust you, and to trust that you won't go through my stuff and ruin any secret I might have. I don't have many secrets, do I? Is it really that wrong of me to want to have one or two? We both know that you have more than your fairy share of secrets and I'm only trying to level out the playing field. You won't look?"

"I won't look under the mattress," Ash sighed. He was feeling quite like his mother was drilling into him, though she usually stuck to much more embarrassing things like cleaning his room or changing his underwear every day or asking him if he was sexually active yet. "I promise."

"And you promise not to have Pikachu look under the mattress either?" Misty inquired, crossing her arms and turning to the little mouse. It looked up with a 'who, me?' kind of expression. "Yes, you. You've been sniffing around since you first got here and you're _still _looking around. I keep waking up and finding it trying to paw under my bed. You watch it and you keep it away from my stuff. I know you can talk to it better than most people."

"I won't let Pikachu look under your mattress. Jeez," Ash rubbed the back of his neck. "You're such a psycho. If I say I won't look I won't look. Pikachu's good. He'll stay with my word if he knows how much it means to you. Won't you Pikapal?"

(_He will. _She _won't,_) Pikachu sniggered, eyeing the bed fondly.

"Pikachu," Ash warned. "Is that any way to treat our friend? She feeds you. Last time I checked she helped me snatch extra ketchup packets and apples for you from the kitchen. If you betray her trust like that I don't think she's going to do that anymore. If I don't have her help, I just might forget that I'm supposed to help you because you don't have any thumbs. After all, I forgot where I put your pokeball after I broke it and I'm sure I could forget something as unimportant as making you get fatter than you already are."

(_Fat?_) Pikachu gasped indignantly. She sat down and looked at her stomach. (_Fat! I'm not fat at all. I'm gorgeous. Any pokémon would kill to have me bear their children. So I want a treat every once in a while. You have to feed your temptations or they'll get the best of you and then you'll _really _be fat. I can't believe you said that. Well, you got your way! I'm not going under that mattress anymore. I'm going to go and sulk in a corner. You hurt my feelings, you ass._) She flicked her tail at him in a proud, angry manner and darted under his bed. He could still hear her muttering under her breath about her dreadful trainer and the tortures he put her through.

"I knew you lost it," She snorted with a roll of her eyes. "Do you need anything from me before I go? Anymore annoying questions that no normal person would ask?"

"Boxers or briefs?"

"And we're done." Misty pinched the bridge of her nose. "I need to be able to walk a straight line, so would you mind me borrowing your pills for the journey down? They're white, aren't they? Those should cool me down just enough. I can make it down and back without killing anyone. Butch and Cassidy are out on a mission somewhere in Hoenn, probably taking down a big uprising of the Magmas. They've been gathering members and Giovanni's awfully ticked with that. No one else has a bone to pick with me except for Earl and since it's a Saturday he'll be drinking to at least four in the morning and I never run into him anyway."

"You're still worried about Butch and Cassidy? It's been forever since we ran into them. I bet they forgot about revenge by now!"

She glared. "Give me a pill and stop talking, stupid."

"No," He said, clutching his pocket protectively. "I've only taken one. Take your own pills."

"I _can't _take my pills," Misty growled. "They're stronger than yours and they knock me out. I just need something to cool my nerves so I don't hit someone on my way down. I'll give you five seconds to toss me that bottle you keep in your ugly denim cargo pants."

He threw the bottle; she caught them, left and Pikachu snuck out of the bed. She wanted to know what was under that mattress, promises be damned, and she wanted to know why it was so familiar. Little paws scurried across the floor and bounded up the bed. Her nose twitched and worked, smelling all around to pick up the scent under the heavy human smell that still lingered. There! She found it just below the head of the bed. Instinctively, she began to scratch at the mattress, attempting to dig through, and the frantic high pitched sound piercing the beeps and blips of Ash's Packman game.

He dropped the controller and jumped over to the bed, gathering her up in his arms and gritting his teeth against the powerful shocks. "Pikachu, I told you, _no_. We made a promise. Stop shocking me, Pikachu! I know it sucks but a deal's a deal! There's ketchup packets in it for you if you agree! You can't do this! You'll blow our whole cover! Once the cover is blown we'll get captured and murder and they'll force you to run the elevators all day! Won't you listen?"

She ceased squirming and panted in his arm, eyeing him carefully. He, in turn, loosened his grip with a relieved sigh. "Alright, I'll make you a bargain. You have to promise to be good and ran if you get in any trouble, and I'm pretty sure you can handle yourself. Go ahead and run around the school tonight. Be sure to be home before daybreak and I'll even let you sleep in for a class or two. Do we have a deal?"

(_Anywhere I want?_) She asked. He nodded. (_You've got yourself a deal. But I'm not so keen on that daybreak rule. I'm a wild pokémon. I'll come and go when I please. If I want to stay out for five or six or twenty nights, I'll do it. You like to think you're a trainer, but you're not mine. I'm not one of your pokeball puppets.) _Her eyes lit up. (_Pokeball!)_

"Yeah, yeah. Ixnay on the okeballpay," Ash agreed. He tossed her out the door with a gentle throw that left her plenty of time to recover.

Dazed and confused she leapt at the door a second too late as the music blared and the scratches blurred away. She growled, perfectly frustrated and ran at the door again and again, the thumps barely audible to her own ears over the ridiculously loud sound within. Dammit, she _knew _that scent! She knew what it was now! Pokeballs! If he would just not be stupid for once and just let her into the room. The little pokémon ground her head into the door, squeezing her eyes shut tight and whimpering helplessly. She finally knew and this big, stupid oak door was blocking her! She couldn't even zap Ash with this between them.

She rolled back on her haunches on growled, low and perturbed. Her tail was flicking again, back and forth like a broom across the stone floor. She debated. Left, she continued to bang at the door. Right, she went off and explored. Left, right, left, right…Finally, she stretched and decided the pokeballs had been there for a month, they would certainly be there when she get back. She needed to make a few friends here if she was going to be any use. As much as she liked Ash, she hated it when the boy held her back, and she was not planning on letting him stop her from doing the best job she could. If that meant pokeballs later, friends now, that was the way it went.

…Her longing eyes watched the door over her yellow shoulder for a minute before turning face forward, sighing, and racing down the hallway with long, graceful bounds.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Ash was staring blankly at the Atari screen and watching his Pacman get eaten by ghosts over and over again. Though, typically, his Pacman did get eaten, this time his hand wasn't touching the controller. The controller rested in his lap, one hand at his side, and he was flat on his back. His shoes were cast off into the corner, his pants were unzipped and unbuttoned, one hand was on his stomach (half under the elastic and half on his abs), and, finally, his mouth hung wide open with boredom.

His other pokémon had battled earlier. It was some newbie trainer they had sent out as a test, seeing if perhaps he had cheated on his Battle IQ or to see if he was all talk and no action. He had gone easy on the kid, not wanting to hurt the pokémon, and, voila, he had won with barely three or four attacks. His pokémon were 'extraordinarily powerful' though most were 'sadly unevolved' but 'the problem could be fixed'.

That last phrase was the one that really scared him. It always had. He didn't like it when people talked about fixing problems, because people usually liked to fix things that didn't need to be fixed. Not everything needed an upgrade. An afternoon of Pacman was just as much fun as an afternoon with the goggles over his eyes. Hell, an afternoon with a _ball_, one of the first inventions, could be more fun than an afternoon with goggles. You just had to be creative, is all. Old wasn't bad, just old. So what if his way was old, his pokémon liked it and he liked it and it was obviously working and sweet _Arceus _what if they brought out the stones?

Ash wasn't afraid to admit it: he would cry if they brought out the stones. He loved Pikachu as much as he loved his mother. The two had been inseparable since he was ten and there was no way in _hell _she would ever evolve into a raichu unless she wanted to. He didn't want her to change. He didn't want her to evolve and get overwhelmed with power and kill him. Or, even worse, evolve and decide she was too good for him. True, she was too good for him _now_, but she didn't realize it. All that would certainly change with evolution.

That had been the topic of last study hall, and several study halls before it. Long, worried discussions where Misty would snatch his pills and gulp them down like an ex-smoker with a nicotine patch. She never seemed to want to talk about it too long, which made him suspect that she wasn't a fan of forced evolution either. Though, supposedly, every pokémon that could evolve would be forced to evolve. Whether with rare candies, stones, or intense training, every magikarp would be a gyarados, every pikachu a raichu. And, after that, if they still didn't meet battling requirements, it was a lifetime of manual labor.

And all of it, absolutely _all _of it had sprung from a scene in the hallway. Some poor blonde haired boy was tossed into the wall, his eevee wretched from his arms and a fire stone slammed into its forehead far enough to draw blood. The little creature squirmed and screamed against it, as they were sure the boy would have if he wasn't unconscious on the floor, until the chemical reaction took over and a near rabid fire pokémon stood in its place. It bit and scratched and flamed the handlers and hallways until it broke free, speeding down the hallway. It stopped with a stun gun pressing into its spine, shaking and shuddering to the floor. The only explanation given by the Rocket Supremes was a calm smile to the passersby and a laugh of: "A pokémon evolved with rage stays in rage. Remember that, kiddies."

He certainly did. He was sure he would not soon forget that screaming eevee or its wide eyed squirming. He would not soon forget the sounds it made or clicking noise of a taser. Not in this lifetime. Not when he had cried himself to sleep that night and a few nights after, keeping Pikachu clutched to his chest and wondering if Misty heard the sobs and chose to ignore them or if she just didn't know what to say. He hoped it was the latter.

Those were his thoughts as he lay on the floor, in that weird, relaxed position with the too loud Atari blipping in the background at poor Pacman was slaughtered over and over again. AS he began to come out of his daze, realizing exactly how annoying that noise was, he also added the thought of 'never giving Pacman infinite lives' to the pot. The sound of Pac man eating dots/getting eaten by ghost like things could only be tolerated for so long. Maybe that _was _something they should upgrade: The damn music.

"You kiss your mother in that position?" Misty asked, closing the door behind her with a twitch of her lips. "That's not what I enjoy walking in on. Granted, you're obviously not doing anything but it certainly _would _if you were at full attention. And turn off that damn Pacman before I bash up the Atari. You know we have much more advanced gaming systems. Like the laser screen computer developed three years ago by top Rocket scientists. It runs on solar power; it's good for the environment. Unlike your electricity using ancient game system. That was ancient before the war. What possessed you to even bring that thing out?" She swung her bag on the top bunk and sat next to him on the floor. "What if it combusts?"

He sat up, face still red from her sudden arrival. "You should knock."

"What if your Atari combusted?" She asked again, leaning forward with an almost childlike gleam in her eyes. He briefly wondered if she was getting the hang of being friendly.

"It's not going to combust. Even in the pre-war days they didn't combust. Well, they didn't unless you let it overheat on the floor or something but people generally weren't stupid enough to do that. If you make a crack about me being too stupid to keep my Atari blow up I'm gonna be mad and disappointed. Mad because you're mean and disappointed because I didn't think you would go for such an easy target."

She undid her ponytail and redid it while she spoke to him, a habit he had come to notice meant she was getting uncomfortable and wanted a pill. "Not usually. I could make an exception this time, but I won't enter a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent, as the insult goes. Where's your little friend? Did you finally get it back in the pokeball?"

"Dunno where she is." Ash shrugged as he began to button and zip up his pants. "I'm guessing still in the school. He wouldn't go out during the night. He always goes out during the day. Friendlier pokémon are bouncing around outside in the day. At night they're usually too obsessed with gathering food to answer any of his questions. Besides, he almost got eaten by a houndoom once. Somewhere around here too. Definitely inside for now. My guess is in the vents, since you turn them off at six. It's at least seven by now and he's the biggest clock watcher you'll ever meet."

"Smart pokémon."

"Don't tell him, he'll never shut up about it," He sighed. He took his hat off to shake his sweaty hair loose, then replaced his cap. "So, have you changed your mind about fighting me in a battle to the death? Hands and feet only, unless you've got a gun hidden in your underwear." He grinned. "Oh! That's where you've got in hidden!"

She snorted. "No, I don't have a gun hidden in my lingerie."

"You're wearing lingerie?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She gave a flirtatious wink and the smile she had copied from him. She was parroting, applying what he had taught her but not quite coming up with her own, not just that. Just changing a word or two to fit the gender. Still, it was better than nothing, and he gave her a smile of approval. "Lift up your shirt, babyface. I want to see exactly what kind of artillery you'll pull out if I ever try and fight you. Which I still haven't changed my mind about. Maybe if signed up for a self defense class and somehow brought me along, then I'd spar with you. But I'm not getting you hurt, star battler. Too much trouble."

He beamed and straightened his back. "Star battler. I never knew you thought so much of me."

"I don't, babyface. You've just got good pokémon." She cocked her head to the side and lifted his shirt, only getting a quick look before he jumped away with a squeal.

"I thought you were kidding!" He cried, covering his stomach with frantic hands and a self-conscious blush dotting his cheeks. "You can't just lift up my shirt like that Misty! I mean, I've got standards! I've got morals! I don't want you sizing up my abs like I'm some piece of meat! Guys can say no too! No means no! You're a pervert, that's right! I said it! You're a pervert! A shirt lifting pervert! And…and whatchya looking at me like that for?" He swallowed thickly and let his hands drop to his sides, realizing she wasn't standing up with him.

She shook her head. "Silly babyface, no need to feel shy. Your body really is just a piece of meat to me. I'm not attracted to anyone, not really. The pills knock that out so emotions don't blind our proper judgment. You could be butt naked and the only thing I'd feel is mild curiosity. Now, if you're embarrassed because, well, you're not as fit as some of the other boys I've seen that's okay. You might have a two pack, but definitely not a six pack. I've seen fatter than you, and you do have some kind of abdominal muscle. Less than mine, but it's not too bad. I don't know what you're so embarrassed about. Want to see what a real six pack looks like?"

Ash blinked, the blush fading from his cheeks. "You…you have a six pack? How'd you get one of those? I never see you in the gym or anything. You're always playing video games. Shouldn't you be fatter?" He moved closer and fell to his knees. "Now that I think about it, you rock n' roll in gym class too! How do you manage to be so good at all that stuff? Steroids?"

"Insomnia," She retorted. She got to her knees, keeping them at a right angle and leaned back to stretch the muscle as best she could. Misty pulled up the bottom of her shirt and showing off a subtly outlined set of abdominal muscles. "What do you think? Some of the girls have better ones than me, but they work out nonstop and some of them don't stretch enough to have a safe balance. The more you stretch the better you look. All those muscles don't do a thing if you don't have enough flexibility to even move."

"Can I touch them?"

She raised an eyebrow and dropped her shirt. "No. We talked about this being weird thing. If you can't take your pills and control your hormones like a good babyface we have to instill the no touching rule. I don't like that weird stuff. You already keep your Pikachu outside of its ball, don't abide by the dress code, make sexual innuendoes, which I still don't find funny by the way, and you have this weird obsession with always keeping that stupid hat of yours on."

"It's not stupid," Ash snapped. "It's an awesome hat. You're just jealous. Besides, you don't think anything's funny so you can't judge me like that. Oh! I got another one! How do you know I'm weird? You don't hang out with other people so you don't know what they're like. For all you know, you could be weird and I could be perfectly normal. Normal people laugh. Watch TV, they even have _laugh tracks_."

"Stop talking," She muttered. "You're making my head hurt."

"Because I'm too brilliant for you to handle!" he retorted proudly, drawing himself up to full height.

"No, because you have just said so many stupid things that I don't have the time to analyze them and tell you what's wrong." She glanced at the digital screen in the corner and raised an eyebrow. "Huh, on second thought I do have time. First, I'm not and never will be jealous of some stupid old hat. It's ratty, it's ugly, and it's certainly not in dress code. Second, I think plenty of things are funny. I find it amusing when you fall flat on your face or your back or when Jessie hit you in the face with a tennis racquet. I don't show it, but I'm laughing on the inside. Third, I may not be friends with people, but I am in a school. I'm around people twenty four seven. I know how they act. People in this school don't laugh either, and, compared to us, you're weird. Forth, TV rots your brain. Instead of spending your money on cable, you could spend your money on books."

He pouted. "I hate reading. They never have any kind of pokémon books at all, at least not in the library and they're usually boring factual books. You can't watch a pokémon battle in a book. I want something that's as exciting and thrilling as a battle! Full of action and excitement! You can only get that out of pokémon battles and TV. You can't get fun stuff out of books. Don't tell me otherwise, because you don't have emotions and you can't prove that."

She rolled her eyes and stalked away, opening the closet in the corner and rummaging through the piles of books she had stacked against the wall. They were thick, heavy hardcover and soft cover books, lining her wall with yellowed pages and pre-war authors. The spines were turned to face her; each proudly displaying a time faded title and publisher, some slightly burned along the edge or with ripped covers and ripped pages. Her finger smoothed down the spines and stopped near the bottom of the pile. The finger worked in between the two piles and pulled out the book with a careful air.

"_Twenty-Nine Badges_," She said, tossing it in the air. She caught it one handed behind her back then brought it with a secure grip around the red hardcover. "It's from a long while back, when there was twenty-nine badges in Kanto. It's about this kid's journey, named Satoshi and he just goes all around his region. His rival Shigeru bet him he couldn't collect every badge in Kanto, so it's a race between them. Shigeru is more…calculating and factual than Satoshi, and because of that he wins the first few battles. Satoshi…he's been an instinctual battler his whole life, coming up with all these amazing new strategies and…" She sighed, an almost dreamy sound. "He comes up with the most amazing things towards the end. He does pick up a friend or two, of course. The first is Takeshi, who respects him because he doesn't finish off a pokémon, very honorable-"

"But he didn't win," Ash pointed out proudly.

"Quiet," She snapped. "These aren't Rocket rules; they're olden time rules. They just had vidphones then. Anyway, his other friend is Kasumi, and she claims she follows him all around Kanto because he wrecked her bike. I think Satoshi likes her, but there's barely a touch of romance, and that's only if you tilt your head and squint. The main point of the story is the battles. The wonderful, descriptive, beautiful battles. What I wouldn't have given to see someone battle like that."

"It's only fiction, Mist."

"My name is Misty, but it isn't fiction. Some of it may have been, like the time it takes to get places and witty banter during battles or stuff like that, but it's practically an autobiography of this guy on the cover. His name's Satoshi Taj…something. The name's erased and I can't find any information about it on the web. But he was a real guy, and he wrote a fantastic series. I just wish I could have been alive way back when to see him battle." Her fingers traced the cover longingly.

"It's a series?" He asked, leaning forward to put his hand on the cover. "I thought there's only one. So, what, he only gets five badges in this one?"

"Oh, no. It can stand by itself. It was probably just so successful that he decided to write more. I won't ruin the ending for you, whether him or his rival wins, but I'll promise you it's a great book, a _fantastic _book, and though the rest are good, you'll never fall in love with another book like you'll fall in love with this one." She gave him the book, catching his eye when she did. "Trust me, you'll love this book. Once you finish it, you'll understand exactly why I want to be back there. Nobody has battled on instinct since the war. No one comes up with clever strategies. It's all facts and figures, and it didn't used to be that way! Even Shigeru was creative, straying from the books to get the win when he had to and…" She trailed off.

She dropped her hand form the book, but kept the eye contact. "I know it's crazy, but that's the one thing I'd rather have died than to ever have Team Rocket change it. If I could ever see one person battle on instinct instead of stupid rules and Battle IQs and all that crap that just make battling so strict and ugly and so different from what it's supposed to be…when it's supposed to be art and they turn it into math…I don't know. I might just kiss them or something." She smiled then. A small, barely there smile but a smile nonetheless. "Even if it breaks the rules, I could just kiss them for bringing something like that back to this world."

He chuckled. "You really love this book, don't you?"

"I do," She returned, smile fading back to her expressionless face. The girl poked him hard in the chest. "And if you, Ashton, ruin that book in all its glory and wonder, I might just snap your neck in half. So if you hate the book, you keep it to yourself. If you _break _the book, you're better off jumping off a cliff because it'll be a lot less painful than whatever I'll do to you. That's my favorite book right there. I can't get another copy."

"Why?" He laughed. "They won't give you books either? Whatchya gonna do, give someone a nasty paper cut?"

The girl gulped and stood quickly, marching to her bed and searching for something imaginary in her bag. "No, actually. That book…it, uh, along with many others…" She swallowed again and her hands began to shake on the bag. "About four years ago Team Rocket burned six thousand books they felt weren't good for Rocket members to read. Well, what they thought was six thousand. It was actually a lot less, thanks to a library and a few book lovers such as myself. Have you ever seen anyone burn a book Ash?"

He shook his head silently, but she wouldn't turn to look at him. "Nuh-no. I haven't. Did you see it? When they burned them?"

"It's like the fire is reading the book Ash. It burns it page by page and even seems to turn them. You can't help but feel jealous either because…" She spun to him, fingers groping in her pocket again. "That damn fire is the last thing to ever get to read them. It steals away thousands or millions of pages of knowledge and you never ever get to see it. It's like watching someone eat an ice cream cone you can't have, and it's the worst thing I've ever seen. You can't get the back once they've took it. No one prints books anymore, not with the internet."

She popped a pill in her mouth and swallowed, shivering and breathing hard. "Never want to see them burn a book or a person or a pokémon ever again. I fucking hate fire, Ash. Water's the only good way to put it out. Remember that. Water's the only way to put a fire out."

She barely made it into bed before her legs gave out.

* * *

Going to bed at seven made it awfully hard to sleep through the night, especially when you took a pill that could usually only keep you snoozing for five, six hours at best. Then there was nothing to do but stare at the ceiling and muse about how light a sleeper your new roommate was. Judging by how loud he was snoring, and how he couldn't possibly hear a damn thing over that ruckus, Misty was beginning to think she would be able to get away with sneaking out tonight. She hoped she would be able to get out tonight.

Deciding to take the risk, she smoothly swung her legs out of bed and tapped the ground with quiet, stocking covered feet. Stealing a glance at the sleeping boy, she noted that his snoring hadn't broken rhythm, and he didn't seem to show any reaction. So, inch by inch she made her way to the door, turned the handle, and shut the door behind her. All of which, from what she could tell, Ash slept through like the baby his face resembled.

Satisfied he wouldn't be jumping after her anytime soon, she raced down the hallway on tiptoe to reduce the sound. She slid around the corners, rushing the elevator and slamming against the up button with a force that jammed her finger. As the machine whirred to life she waved her hand and cursed.

The elevator opened with a metallic noise, deafening against the silence, and the pain fade away to the background. With only a gentle rub on her finger, she soothed the last bit away. Her right hand reached up, over the buttons, and pressed into the cool metal above. The whirring noise started again, the elevator jerking to life and going up. Right was to the roof, left was to the basement, and two hands short circuited the ridiculously fragile system and she was left for six hours until they broke into the elevator and hauled her out by her ponytail. Three hours because there was no help button in the elevator, and she was afraid to shout and wake anyone up.

This time she stuck with one hand and the elevator complied with a merry buzz, carrying her up to the roof and opening to the sweet scented night air. The moon was half gone, hollowed out and shedding only half its usual light. The stars were bright, with lights unlit and pure black around her there was nothing to get in the way. A gentle breeze flowed, a fall breeze too close to winter, and rattled the branches. A growlithe howled in the distance, a soft lonely sound before its pack chimed in. Then, the noise fell away and all was still.

She took a moment to enjoy the night, arms crossed over one another and head tilted back to the sky, then hit a nearby switch. The roof was half blocked off, concrete making the building seem half its actual size, but the area surrounding her was filled with a pool, a shed, and bright lights shining up from the floor that showed her the way to her watery playground. Her arms dropped to her sides and she jogged to the shed, changing quickly into her one piece bathing suit and shivering in the chilly night air.

It took seven long, quick strides to carry her into the swimming pool, diving into the ten foot deep water tank and delighting the chilly blast. It jolted her system, her heart jumping in her chest and her nerves buzzing with the chill. It almost hurt, the sting increased by the cold and reawakening the earlier pain in her finger. But it felt good, all too familiar as she broke the surface, met with the bittersweet feel of icy wind on her cheeks. She reached up and pulled the hair tie from her hair, snapping it under her wrist before diving down again, this time enjoying the dizzying effect of hair whipping her face.

The heater was kicking in quickly, heating the pool to a tolerable, still a bit chilly temperature. It was definitely a summer pool, made for the staff when school was out of session and kids weren't there to be a bother. She was the only one who used it all year around, perhaps the only one who used at all. Teachers went home during the summer, and that left her all alone. Her and her pokémon, taking long, smooth strokes, lap after lap of a workout that thinned her out, built muscle tone, and gave her the classic streamlined look of a swimmer's body. Playing in the water with pokémon had expanded her lungs, making air necessary only every six minutes with a deep enough breath, and making the ten foot pressure vanish from the back of her mind.

She could use some pokémon though, that was for sure. She had left them in their pokeballs, forgetting them in her haste to leave, and guilt was clenching at her heart. It wasn't fair at all, Gyarados barely got wet as it was, and she had had to spend hours finding the HM Fly for it to get the exercise it so desperately needed. And Psyduck…despite her efforts he _still _managed to sink whenever he was in over his head. Bringing water wings up to her room had certainly been an embarrassing walk, with Jessie, James, Butch and Cassidy asking her if she was trying to teach herself how to swim or if she just enjoyed the pretty colors.

So, stroke after stroke she moved forward, turning like an Olympic diver with a spin and a push off all underwater. She started slow, then sped up as the pool warmed and muscled loosened. Raw power pulled her forward, speeding through the water and sending waves behind her. She pushed off the wall again and again taking her farther as lungs losing the need for air. A breath, and one lap; a breath, two laps; then three and four and five until a small tap on her back sent her tossing in the water, bursting bubbles from her lungs.

"Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! I just heard you leave and I got nervous and I didn't look under your bed or anything while you were away and I saw you creep into the shed but I looked away when you started getting changed so you don't have to worry about me being a peeping tom or anything like that! You were swimming really fast and you're really good and stuff so, uh, that's really cool. I'd race you, but I bet I couldn't win. I could win in a footrace or, y'know, maybe if you'd be willing to fight me. You're…you're still breathing hard. Are you okay? Did I really scare you that badly?" Ash was in a panic, dropping to his stomach and looking at her with wide eyes. His league cap, an ancient thing, shielded his eyes from imaginary light and his vest was nowhere to be found. His black shirt hung loosely to his body, and for once his feet were as bare as hers.

"You scared me, Ash," She panted. "I've been swimming too. It's not like this was a leisurely dip. It's a workout. I'm supposed to be breathing heavy and then you scared me. I need a quick break, so why don't you tell me why you didn't just stay in bed. You know I can go where I want, just like your rat." She dropped underwater before popping up again and resting against the edge. "You better not have been worrying about me. I might give you a good fight for that."

"I can't help it," He shrugged. "I worry about everyone. I worry about everyone and everything. That's what I am: a worrier. I'm glad to see you're alright though. Is this your secret spot? I guess this is why you've got those six pack abs and stuff. See, I came up here because I was curious is all. I like knowing stuff. You were acting weird and creeping away so I wanted to make sure you weren't sneaking off to kill anyone."

"I don't kill people," She sighed. "Besides, you didn't see me grab my gun, now did you? I just came up to relax."

"So when you said insomnia kept you fit…" Ash began.

"Yes, I meant that I couldn't sleep so I came down here and did this," She stretched her arms out wide. "I'm not waking up early either. I'm sleeping in very, very late. I'm not going to school. I'm working out and sleeping all the while. That's the fun with being a reject. I can do whatever the hell I went." She fell into a backstroke across the pool. "And you said I wasn't any fun."

"You're not," He retorted, crossing his arms. "Mind if I come in?"

"The pool's big enough," She agreed. "As long as you stay far enough from me you can do whatever you want. There's no boy's bathing suit in the shed, though. This one is mine; they give me new ones every year. So, unless you've got a bathing suit with you, I would suggest you really think about coming in. If you don't have anything to change into you'll be absolutely freezing when you finally get out. It's hard enough without a towel." She bent in two and dived under the water, staying for a moment before popping back up.

The boy was rolling his pants up to his knees, letting his feet dangle into the water, toes curling and uncurling at the icy touch. "I'm just going to sit here so I don't get too cold."

"Why don't you just go back to bed? I may not have to go to school tomorrow but you sure do. Be a good babyface and go back to-"

She was cut off by a splash of water as the boy jumped in with her, black shirt cast off to the side of the pool, legs kicking and unrolling his pants. He treaded water with a smile, teeth chattering and face reddening against the chill. "Man, this water's pretty chilly. Now I get why you swim so fast. You gotta if you want to warm up, don'tchya?"

Her eyes widened. "Get out of here you stupid boy! You don't have any clothes to change into once you get out. You'll catch a cold and then what can I do with you?" She grabbed his wrist and tugged pulling him to the side, placing his hand on it. "I don't want to waste my time taking care of you when you're sick. I don't like you all that much and I'm no worrier, so you'll be left alone in your bed all day. I'm not sticking around to care for some idiot who doesn't listen."

He grinned and slid his hand out from hers, opting instead to put it on top. "Aw, you do care, don't you? You don't have to worry. Just like you my body will adjust. I've had colder weather than this, Misty. I've traveled around the entire world. I don't mind a little cold water. Besides, I've got more fat on me than you. Don't you think I'll be able to stay warmer?" He clapped her hand once then pulled it away, shooting off from the wall and diving under the water.

Her elbows propped her up against the wall, legs kicking lightly while she waited for him to come up. "If you do get cold and you're willing to wait, there's a towel. I'll dry myself off, pull on my clothes and then you can go ahead and put it on for the walk down. I'll be fair to you. You may think you've faced cold, but nothing's colder than that elevator ride. It seems to take forever and your teeth chatter and it's just completely horrible."

He swam up to her and flashed a smile. "And you can wear my shirt. It's warmer than whatever you've got to wear. I've seen your wardrobe."

"I thought I told you not to spy," She scolded.

He treaded water for a moment before realizing it'd be easier to follow her lead and lean on the wall. "Spy? Who said I was spying. I just so happened to _see _your wardrobe because you never close the closet door. It's all the same outfit anyway. Would going through your wardrobe help you get angry enough to pick a fight with me? Anger overcomes all fear if you play it right. I could call you Mist and pull your hair or touch your nose. All of those things set you off and I bet you'd have no problems attacking me then."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm _not _going to attack you. I don't care how much you ride me about it, the answer is still no. The best I'll give you is a race. I'll race you in swimming, on land, hell, if humans could fly I'd race you through the air, but I can't help you anymore than that. We could always resort to that lovely battle of wits that makes our daily encounters so interesting. I can't lay a hand on you. You'd only end up breaking into little Ash pieces."

He grinned, eyes lighting with a teasing gleam. "You can't touch me, but I can touch you. What if I just attack you until you snap and fight back?"

She shook her heard. "We're in water. You don't want to do this in the water. Even if you could take me on land, I'm a fish. When was the last time you've been swimming, Ketchum? Last summer? It takes a while to warm up and use those muscles and you probably can't hold your breath as long as I can. I'd drown you without a problem, just by dragging you down with me and waiting. You shouldn't jump into battles without knowing your opponent."

He pouted and floated closer. "But that's so _planned_. How's that the instinctual battling you said you were looking for?"

"Even Satoshi had a bit of knowledge. Not a lot, but just knowing something like a gyarados can fly, or that your ocean opponent…" Misty leapt at him, pushing him under and shoving him down to the bottom of the pool in seconds, releasing him the moment his back hit the smooth cement floor. They raced back to the top and she pushed him hard against the wall. "…is probably much, much stronger than you in the water."

He shrugged. "I didn't put up a fight. I knew you were just playing, so it doesn't really count. If I had actually tried I would have done lots better. You're not so tough. I can take you any time any place. In the water or out of it I'll always be the best." A cocky look appeared on his face and he looked at her with a superior air.

She rolled her eyes. "Alright babyface, but I guarantee you. You're not from just down the block. You're a bit away from here, in an isolated environment, and there's a nasty cold bug floating around here. You haven't gotten all your new and improved vaccinations yet, have you? You don't have anything to prevent that virus from seeping into your system?"

"No vaccines needed!" He declared proudly. "I'm a strong, manly man. No stupid little bug is going to get to me. Cold? I laugh in the face of cold!" He grabbed the side of the pool and hulled up, getting halfway out before dropping back in with a feminine screech. "What the hell! There's not even any snow on the ground!"

She pushed off the edge with a snort and sunk deep down, letting his stupid remarks and silly antics fade away, letting the confusing feelings go.

And soon, there was nothing left to do but enjoy the smooth, loving feel of blue water.


	5. Underground

_**Underground**_

As a cute pokémon, Pikachu could get into all the nooks and crannies that a big bulk of teenage flesh couldn't. She could scamper through the tiniest air ducts, hide in the smallest corners, and do things that big, powerful pokémon never could. So, all in all, she loved her size. Despite how she was mocked when she entered battle, the benefits were worth it. She liked being able to help Ash with spying as well as battling. At the end of the day, she enjoyed being small enough to curl up in his arms, and cute enough to look like she belonged there. Besides all that, she loved the shower of affection she got from any human that passed her by.

But never had she appreciated her size more than that night. Once Ash had kicked her out, she quickly discovered that things were not made to be searched. (Quickly being roughly a few hours and sneaking into elevators, rooms, and stalking people through the corridors) Everything was locked, everyone was gone. The place seemed to turn into a ghost town at night, and she hated ghost pokémon. Pikachu was better than any Raichu when it came to speed and normal type moves, moves that didn't affect a ghost. Electricity barely did a thing either and that made her feel weak and defenseless. Plus, she was slightly worried that a ghost pokémon might actually be a _ghost _pokémon out to steal her soul and drag her down to hell. Wandering back to the topic, though it was a ghost town for a human, the place was a bit more open for her.

Open as a ventilation system, the wonderful metal kind that magnets would stick to or an iron tail if electricity was used in just the right way.

She galloped down the hall until she was below the ventilation system. Ears perked far forward, she searched around for her way up. The hallway was skinny, not nearly far enough apart for her to need Ash's help. The walls were bumpy, perfect for gripping, and the vent certainly didn't look hard enough to cause her Quick Attack any trouble. She had crashed through much sturdier things than this, or she at least assured herself of that before rearing back.

Agility attack was first, giving her a burst of speed as she rushed and jumped at the left wall. There was a moment of contact, then she was shooting off again, hitting the other wall just a little bit higher. She bounced back and forth four more times before Agility combined with Quick Attack, blasting her off the wall and sending her bursting through the now broken grate with a clang. Content, she merrily ignored the grate blasting to the side, unbroken and knocked off its previous spot perfectly. She made a mental note to ask Ash to replace it later. It was always best not to arouse any more suspicion than needed.

(_She said there was a basement,_) Pikachu remarked to herself. (_And if there's one thing that's for certain, they won't think of blocking the air ducts. They think the only way in is the elevator and the dirt but I know better. Nothing better than a magnetic Iron Tail…oh, Arceus, I need a fried. Ash won't let any of his other pokémon out, like someone's going to steal them. Misty sure as hell won't. Not when she's got her own damn pokémon._)

There was the sound of footsteps, and Pikachu scampered to the blasted off grate, peering down with wonder. What she saw was her trainer wandering through the hallway. (_Ash? Whatchya doin' stupid? Oh, you're searching for me, aren't you? I'm flattered, but I'm not coming back. You kicked me out and that stings, Ash. I'm going to be gone for the next couple of days. Maybe I won't come back for weeks. You know how temperamental I can be._)

"Misty did something funky in the elevator, want to rig it for me?" Ash smiled charmingly. The rat glared. "Come on, Pikapal. You know you want to help me out. I saw her put her hand on it, I know all you have to do is give it a jump start, what do you say?"

(_I'm not your slave,_) She mumbled.

He pointed out: "I've got your pokeball."

(_Am I inside it?_) She retorted, leaping down into his waiting arms. (_I'm going to have to use my combo to get up there again. I hope you're proud of yourself. After you've gone and kicked me out and you just cast me aside like an old pair of socks you've brought me back to a life of slavery. You're just a jerk. This is why you were sent here, you know. They're not really looking for information. They're all hoping you won't come back._)

"I'm sorry you feel like I've kicked you out," He murmured, bringing her up closer to his face as the elevator dinged open in front of them. "I didn't mean to. I was trying to be nice. I made a mistake and I'll try not to do that anymore, but you have to work with me. Just tell me what you want and I'll try to work around it. You know me, Pikachu. I'm not an unreasonable guy. If you don't want to do this I'll let you go back to whatever you were doing. I'll even toss you up into the vents. It's all about compromise, right?"

(_It's not your fault_,) She sighed. The pokémon's words seemed to encourage Ash to get her into the elevator, letting him hold her close to the spot above the buttons. (_I just don't like that I can't be a girl and I don't have any friends. I'm lonely Ash. You're a great human, but you're still a human. I need pokémon friends. I need creatures I can play with, things I can zap. I can't do that with you, no matter how great you think you are._) She craned her neck to lick his cheek. (_You're a good boy, alright? Our relationship is fine, good give and take. You said you saw her put her hand on something in the elevator?_)

He pointed to the area where he had seen her place her hand, drawing an imaginary circle around the missing handprint. "Yeah, she reached up and put her hand right above this stuff, the buttons. That probably means it's all that DNA junk again. I didn't see if anything glowed like the door though, do you know how to work it?"

Pikachu nodded, putting her cheek next to the button panel. (_Alright, I'm feeling two switches. I can hit either one. So choose a number, one or two. If she's not on that floor we'll choose the other one. Then, after all this is done, I'll choose the floor she's not on and see if I can have any fun tonight._) She began charging up, closing her eyes with the warm, tingling sensation that came with it. (_I'm going to make a friend, dammit._)

"But if it's DNA and I don't have the DNA for it, it should shut itself down, shouldn't it? Like you can charge the computer but you can't make it run without a password. At least, you can't unless you get a human to hack it for you," Ash asked. "Do you need me to put my hand on the door to start it up or…?"

(_You even _think _about touching that door and I'll kill you,_) The mouse growled. (_Her DNA is on it. It's generally called Trace DNA, though since scientists starting learning more about it Prof. Oak started calling it some other name, claiming that it's not the same as previously thought and blah, blah, blah. The point is no matter where you go, no matter what you touch, you leave DNA. There's not always a lot of it, but it's there. The biggest flaw in Rocket technology, that they're working on as we speak, is that as long as it isn't touched or changed in any way, you can use that Trace DNA to open the door again if you've got the trigger. Odds are Misty didn't wipe down the door after putting her hand on it, so the DNA should still be here._)

"How would one hand control both switches?"

(_Doesn't matter. I can go both ways if her DNA is still up. You can ask your girlfriend when you get up there. One or two?_)

"Seven," Ash retorted dryly, feeling color rise to his face. "She's not my girlfriend. I don't like her. She's mean and she's a Rocket. I can't date a Rocket! I'm…you know. Something I shouldn't say in case they've got cameras in the elevators! If I ever tried to date a Rocket loads of bad things would happen! Misty would kill me, my mom would kill me, and I'd destroy civilization as we know it by causing a huge war between the Rockets and the people I can't say. That or, well, it could be like 

_Romeo and Juliet _and the star-crossed lovers and they feel bad after all of it ends and stop fighting but I'll still die! Girls are into that. May and Dawn are into that. They can find their own star-crossed lovers. I'm not dating Misty. Ever. I mean, never ever."

(_You ramble when you're embarrassed,_) Pikachu stated. (_One or two, you lovesick puppy you?_)

"Now you're just being mean," Ash moaned, his face getting redder. "One's fine, but why do you have to do that to me? I thought you say our relationship was turning out just fine! This is worse than when you found out I had a crush on Gary's sister when I was little."

There was a blast of electricity and the old thing sprung to life. Cables turned and pulleys pulled them up to the roof in a slow climb, the door glowing with the outline of Misty's handprint. Pikachu cuddled deep into Ash's arms, appreciating the warmth of her tamer. (_You had a crush on your rival's sister, Ash, how isn't that funny? She gave you your very first kiss, and you nearly went into cardiac arrest from the shock of it. A pretty girl actually kissed you._)

"Lots of pretty girls are willing to kiss me!" Ash defended. "I didn't faint or anything girly. I was just…shocked that she didn't do more. All she did was give me a peck on the lips, she didn't do anything cool. I was just surprised she _just _pecked me. I'm used to long, hot make outs with sexy girls, sexy girls in bathing suits, in _wet _bathing suits."

She snorted, a strange sound coming from an electric rodent. (_Sure you are. Girls in bathing suits, you dork, like you even go for girls in bathing suits. I think you go for girls in low cut Team Rocket uniforms and red hair and shot shorts. That and dazzling blue green eyes._)

"Someone's been reading my diary," He said, rolling his eyes. "And what do you mean I don't go for girls in bathing suits?"

The elevator door dinged open, the lit area revealing Misty going into the shed and holding up a swimsuit, turning the one piece back and forth in the light and pressing it to her chest to make sure it fit. (_Never mind, I take it all back. You definitely go for girls in tight racing suits. I don't know what's she's doing in a pool. Close your eyes and look away, you pervert, she doesn't know you're here. What if she turns around and catches you? That's not going to be a lovely conversation and I'm not sticking around to help you out._)

She squirmed out of his arms, rolling her eyes at his tightly closed ones, and pushed her playboy wannabe out the door. He landed on his face with a quiet 'oof' sound and she scrambled back in before the two sheets of metal closed behind her. She backed up to get a good look at the panel, and zapped it again. Grudgingly obliging to the shock, the elevator groaned into action and made its way down, down to the bottom of the school and then sinking another floor under it. Another ding, and she was in the underground.

She raced out the doors and quickly scampered into the corner by the machine. Pikachu's eyes began to take in her surroundings. Dirt floor, dirt wall, the place looked like the underground in Sinnoh. Much like the underground, it had lamps that hung still high above her, wide metallic lampshades covering the blinding bulbs. Sadly, that was where the similarities ended. Because Sinnoh didn't have row after row of cages, like a pokémon supermarket, barely big enough for a pokémon to turn around in, and Sinnoh didn't have the infinite bins of minimized pokeballs keeping creatures caged inside, and Sinnoh's tunnels didn't have the echoing screams of a caged up creatures in the distance. Sinnoh's tunnels didn't make Pikachu feel like throwing up and running back upstairs.

(_You a Kanto Pikachu?_) Came a gravelly voice beside her.

She jumped, squealing as breaths came in short ragged gasps. An old, weathered raichu gawked at her with tired eyes from inside his cage. His coat was dull, everything about him drooped, but his eyes shined with a new light at her presence. (_No, I'm fresh caught from, uh, Sinnoh. Kanto Pikachu's can't get into this place, not without getting in one of these cages. Why? You a Kanto Pikachu? Well, you're a Kanto Raichu now, aren't you?_)

(_Please,_) He begged, (_don't mock a dying man. Where's the dent on your tail, girl? You're a Kanto bred and raised. You've got the scent of the Rebellion on you. Are you here to break us loose?_)The old creature shook his head and went to his stomach with a groan. _(Of course not, not with only you. Thirty two years I've been here, my friend. I lived in the wild for fifty four. I'm eighty six, and I doubt I'll make it to eighty seven._)

She approached him with caution, looking around the elevator for a human to come creeping around the corner, then raced to the cage, pressing her face into it tightly. (_Thirty two years? How could you be here for thirty two years! You're a raichu, for Arceus' sake! Stand up! Just zap the stupid humans and get out of here! I wish I could break all of you out but I've got a trainer and if we could just get news down to Prof. Oak we could-_)

He raised his head at that. (_Oak! Not my Oak, for sure. A different Oak. Mine's bound to be dead by now. What's the man's name, this Oak? His first name. Tell me quickly, I don't want to keep you out in the open for too long. Something bad might come of that._)

(_Samuel Oak,_) She told him, now nervously looking over her shoulder. (_What's coming? I mean, what might find me? Are there Rockets patrolling or something worse? Do they have guard pokémon down here? Of course they would, look at this place! I'm sure the students would be furious if they found out the pokémon were being treated like this. When I tell Ash! Oh, when I tell Ash they'll be sorry for what they've done. He knows how to battle and he'll make them pay for what they've done._) She pause and looked at the evolution. He was staring out into space, seeming to stare at one of her stripes. (_Sir? You look a little out of it. Are you alright?_)

(_Sammy Oak, little Sammy,_) He said dreamily. (_Probably not little Sammy anymore. He has to be an old timer like me now. You wouldn't happen to know how old he is?_)

The little mouse blinked. (_You want to know how _old _he is? Damn. I'd guess he's in his fifties, since Gary mother had him and his sister very young, and they said he went grey early. You knew him. When he was younger? He doesn't talk much about when he was little, since he was a real war baby and all that. He gets flashbacks every so often, but I bet you'd know about those. Were you his pokémon? I bet he'd be so happy to see you._)

(_No, I wasn't his pokémon. I knew him once, but I wasn't his. He wouldn't want to see me in this state. But you…you ought to get out of here while you still have a chance. You don't want to get trapped in one of these cages. You can't get out once you're in. They'd rather kill us then let us go free._) He nodded towards the elevator. (_Run. If you get out fast enough you may be able to save us later. Much later. When you have an idea and a plan and a backup plan. This is a dangerous place for a pokémon alone._)

(_I _understand_ that, but I need your help. If I'm going to figure out how to help you I'm going to need to know what you have down here. I need all the facts. Do you have guards? Grunts? Supremes? What pokémon do the guards have? Do the pokémon like the guards? Would they be willing to join our side? Are there pokémon that patrol around here on their own that support this? Do the guards have guns? Tasers? Smoke bombs? Is there any way in and out of this place besides the elevator, because if not it won't be easy to unload and we'll have to probably use a huge rock type to dig our way out of here. I can't help you if you don't give me all this information!)_ She whimpered, pressing further into the bars. (_I want to help. I don't like seeing pokémon like this. I can help. Honest I can get you all out of here and you can see Prof. Oak again if you'll only help me._) She stopped and whined again, a more animalistic sound than pokémon. (_Are you…are you really dying or were you just trying to guilt me into telling the truth?_)

"Oh, don'tchya worry your pretty little head about dat! He's dyin' alright! He's gonna be as dead as a doornail soon!" The heinous cackle behind her grew louder as it talked, voice dripping with disgust for the older pokémon.

She spun, teeth bared. The cackling creature was a Meowth, standing on two legs with its charming gleaming in the light. He, unlike Raichu, was well groomed and young, a handsome young pokémon if he wasn't so scrawny. (_Looks like a pokémon but speaks like a human. What kind of freaky walks on two legs? Sold your soul to Giovanni and got that ugly voice in return? I'd demand a refund, because no one gives a damn what you've got to say in pokémon or human talk! Why don't you respect your elders, or at least respect the dying!_)

"Why?" He giggled, an almost demented sound. "He ain't dead yet! He ain't dead yet! He ain't dead like all my friends, oh no. He ain't dead yet! Gotta laugh while yer alive cuz yas just can't laugh when yer dead! He knows! Ask the old fella? Donnie! Donnie, you know the truth! Nothing but death once ya get out dat elevator, unless yer smart like me! Donnie's workin' 'til he's dead, but I ain't working at all! Team Rocket werks for me!"

Pikachu backed up a step, suddenly taking in the finer aspects of the pokémon. Though he did look health at first glance, his eyes were glassy with an almost drugged gleam, the area around his mouth caked with blood and spit. Though not jutting out, he was definitely thinner than he should have been and each rib was countable. Then, there was something about him that sent out an instinctual fear. It made him something that even the wildest of predators would run from. He was diseased, and she was already gathering the electricity she needed in her cheeks.

(_He'd be fine if he would stop eating the rats down here. No one can get through to him,_) Raichu, who Pikachu suspected was named Donnie, whispered to her. (_Don't zap him. He'll come right back and bite you. The second that poison gets into your, it'll kill you. It's rat poison after all. This fella's built up a resistance to it over the years. It's made him crazy though. He's saner when he's starving or when the Rockets remember to leave out food for the poor beast._)

(_Poor thing_,) She murmured, still carefully edging away. (_Is he the most dangerous thing down here?_)

(_For you, yes. For the rest of the world, he's probably the lowest on the scale. He's not strong and he's not aggressive. If he ever bit a human the worst there'd be is a fever. At its very worst they'd have to put a few injections into the bloodstreams you'd have to steal from a Nurse Joy. Half of the Nurse Joy's work for the Rebellion anyway. The guards are the dangerous ones, but now is not a good time to talk. Now is a good time for you to keep an eye on that Meowth._)

"Name's Aiden!" He declared cheerfully. "What's yours, Pikachu? I know yer a mouse, that's fer sure. Yer a lovely mouse, but I won't eat you. You've got electricity in your cheeks. I don't want to get zapped. Feels like a stun gun. Dat makes yer hair stand up on end!" 'Aiden' cackled again, falling to his front four paws and digging his nails into the dirt. "I learned human talk tanks to dem idiots! Dey don't even know dat I know all their plans now!" He blinked. "What's yer name?"

She took a step closer to Raichu, pressing the side of her body into the bars. (_Jasmine, I suppose. It's been a while since anyone's called me back. Pokémon generally don't use names anymore, not with the way things are today. It's safer not to get too close. I don't want to get too close to you, just in case those idiots try and make me speak human talk. You understand that, don't you Aiden? Would you mind if I went back in the elevator and made my way upstairs? I'll make sure to steer clear of the humans and their stun guns. I don't want my hair to stand up on end. I just got it all fixed and pretty this morning. What a waste of a spa day._)

Meowth giggled so hard her fell on his back. "Waste of a spa day! Waste of a spa day! Dat's rich! Dat's a _real _good joke dere, Pikachu. Tell ya's what, Jasmine. I like ya. I like yer name too. So here's what I'm going to do fer ya. To keep you safe from all dese crazy Rockets, I'll give you a tour. I'm a normal folk, so I know how to make my way around here. Ya read to take the grand tour, Jasmine? Cuz I'm not taking no no for an answer! Answer quick! Quick! Quick! Before it's too late and I'm off on another adventure without ya!"

Pikachu shifted uneasily, glancing to the old raichu for assistance. He nodded. (_Well, I…I suppose I would love to go on an-_)

She didn't finish her sentence. With a crazed gleam in its eye, the Meowth sprung in her direction to fast for her to react. His lips were pulled back in a hideous grimace and its claws extended. She glanced dried blood on both the teeth and the claws before he landed. Surprisingly, not on her, but on the rat she hadn't noticed was scampering by her feet. The poor creature squealed once before the cat pokémon bit it in half. He ripped it in half and lifted his head, greenish colored guts pouring from the open end of the mouse before he gulped it down.

"Ya want t'finish it, Jasmine? I saved the head for ya." He broke into a large grin and began to cackle again. "Dat's brain food, dat's what it is! The head's brain food for ya! Do ya get it? Do ya get it? Brain food!"

(_I get it. So, uh, I'm going to head to the elevator, if that's alright with you. I'm not very hungry. I had my fill of rats and, uh, brain food for the day,_) Pikachu gave her best fake chuckle, though she was threatening to show Meowth just exactly what it was she ate earlier that morning. (_You'll be okay on your own now that I'm going up for the night? You too Raichu? I'll try and come down tomorrow and we can talk about all this again. It was nice to meet you._)

"Don't be silly!" Aiden cried, getting up on two feet once more. He popped the other half of the rat in his mouth and talked with he chewed, showering Pikachu in rat's blood and guts. "Yer tryin' to get outta our little tour because ya don't tink I can show you around alright. Ya don't need ta worry about that! I know this place better than the back of my paw! I can tell ya all those questions you were asking old Donnie here about the security."

He paused in thought, then continued with just as much vigor: "I was a security pokémon once. I was real good too. I was bright. I was da first to ever learn human talk. Maybe I was da first ta try. But I learned it good. I wasn't too good at battling though. I was very bad at battlin'. Weird how dey don't wantchya anymore when ya can't learn payday. One minute I was in the top of my class to learn human speak, the next I'm down here eatin' all dis brain food. Tryin' to keep myself sharp, I guess. I miss my trainer. She was a good girl. I bet she was a lot like you, Jasmine. I remember she was pretty like ya, at least for a human."

(_Thank you for the compliment,_) She agreed, feeling a little self-conscious. (_May I go to the elevator now, or do you want me to stay? I'm awfully tired, but I promise I'll come back tomorrow and you can take me on the longest tour you want. My trainer's expecting me back soon. He's upstairs right now with his girlfriend and I have to make sure I don't become an auntie, if you know what I mean. They're very touchy feely. Very sickening._)

"Packalies," He slurred the sentence together. "Loadacrap! I know ya don't want da tour, and I woulda let ya go if ya just asked but ya had to go and lie. Crazy people always know when yer lying, so don't ya try that with me! Oh no! I got dat all! Your trainer may be swimming with his girlie, but he ain't expecting you. I would have left ya alone but ya had ta lie ta me. Ya scared of me too. I can sense it. Crazy pokémon like me can smell fear and ya reek of it. Ya reek of fear and ya know what else?" He took a deep whiff in. "And ya know what else ya smell like? _Curiosity. _Ya wanna know all about me, don't ya? And dey say curiosity killed the cat! It looks like it's gonna kill the Pikachu dis time!" Meowth giggled again.

She swallowed nervously. She _was _curious, and only more so as time went by. He was saying he could answer her questions, show her around, things Donnie obviously couldn't show her inside a cage. Even if he was crazy, there did seem to have a glint of intelligence behind it all. Donnie had said that the 

rats made him crazy, and he was fine without them. He wasn't aggressive, and he even seemed to be _hitting _on her.

(_Alright then, should we begin?_) She asked, moving towards him just a bit.

He giggled. "We shall! Follow me, you crazy mouse. I've got lots to tell ya, lots to show ya! But most importantly, I gotta know! I've been listenin' to yer conversation for a while. Now, I'm not gonna tell any Rocket members, cuz they don't listen to me anyway, but I gotta know! I gotta know!" Aiden got close to her face looking deep into her eyes and beaming. "Are ya really a member of the Rebellion? Are ya determined to set us free?"

(_I want to,_) She agreed slowly. (_I'll do anything I can to help. Even if it's just a little thing like getting Raichu…Donnie…to Prof. Oak so he can see him one last time. Maybe I could even find your trainer. She probably doesn't know that you're here and I bet she'd be thrilled to take you back. If you give me a name, I can have my trainer do some research upstairs and we could have you reunited in no time. You have to promise to lay off the rats though. Maybe you could ask some of the pokémon to spare some pokechow? They've got to feed the ones outside the pokeballs, don't they? Or have they done some weird genetic experiments on them to live off of air and torture?)_

"No, no," Meowth shrugged. "Dey're workin' on shinies now. Dey can breed dem and get a shiny and dey got this ray. Dey made it to kill other humans, and it does dat real well, but it just makes pokémon shiny. Dey got to be careful though, because it makes dem angry sometimes. Sometimes dey go crazier den me! Dey always got ta be careful with dose. Have ya ever seen an angry crazy pokémon? I saw one kill a bunch of creatures, pokémon and human all at once. Blood everywhere. Enough ta make a pokémon lose its mind!"

(_You're certainly obsessed with the insane down here,_) Pikachu muttered. As they walked down the rows of cages, pokémon stuck inside, she tried to look down at the dirt instead of the writhing pokémon inside. Each growled, nipped at the bars, or was sleeping with heavy, wild gasps. The sounds made her heart leap with sympathy, even worse knowing an Iron Tail was all it would take to snap a cage in two.

"Dat's because we're all insane, no matter how sane ya tink ya are. Look at all dese pokémon. I bet they don't even know they're crazy even t'ough dey're trying ta bite through the bars! I bet ya dey're lookin' at the cage next to dem and pityin' dat pokémon, cuz dey tink dat one's crazy!" Meowth elbowed Pikachu, though he had to bend forward to get a good shot at her ribs. "So, whaddya want t'know? I can help ya with anyting as long as it's about stuff down here!"

She looked up at a Zangoose, using dulled claws to slap at the bars. (_Well…do you know why they've got all these pokémon down here? You can't tell me that they're really planning on experimenting on all of them, are they? What experiments could they possibly be doing? All the pokémon look normal, except for the side effects of being stuck in a cage. None of them are even shiny! Look at them! They're all regular! You're certainly not shiny._)

"No I'm not!" He exclaimed, gawking at her like she was crazy. "I ain't going under some stupid shiny ray just so my fur can change color! Besides, I'm beautiful the way I am!" Aiden fell to his fours, taking a bit of the edge off her fear as he began to look more like a normal meowth. "As fer all dese pokémon, well, dey haven't been tested on yet. Dey're gonna be tested on, but the closer we get to those tables in the back the more you'll see dese pokémon here start to mutate. They look real freaky, some have extra eyes or limb or weird stuff like that. Some even speak like pokémon dey're not supposed to speak like. It's weird stuff. Dat's probably why you wanted ta get back to the elevator. Tough break, kid!"

(_So all the pokémon in the cages and the pokeballs are going to be tested on? That's horrible! What are they testing for?_)

"I gotta correct ya before I answer your question, hope ya don't mind, Jasmine. The pokémon in the pokeballs aren't gonna be tested on. Dose are the trainer's pokémon. Dis is where dey go when dey get confiscated from the trainers and the trainers are told ta train new pokémon. I don't know what they do with them, but I'm pretty sure dey're saving dem up to give ta the new trainers when dey start coming to the academy. Fer yer question, I dunno what dey're testing on. It's sometin' different every time!"

(_Alright, riddle me this. What kind of security do they have going on down here? You already mentioned tasers. How many have tasers and how many have guns? How many are there in total? Any wild pokémon defend this place or just you?_) The Pikachu couldn't help but gawk as she passed by the largest magikarp she had ever seen. The answer to its size without evolution she was sure lay in the everstone strapped tightly to its forehead. (_Whoa. I can't believe they've got something like that. Will it be a giant gyarados when it evolves?_)

"One question at a time, electric rat! It's not gonna be a giant gyarados. Odds are dey won't evolve it at all cuz it'll be too angry from not getting to evolve for so long. Dis one really wants to evolve, mostly because it wants to get back at Team Rocket."

(_And my other questions? About the security?_) She prodded.

"I'm gettin' to it! Have some patience!" Meowth rolled his eyes. "We don't have any kind of security down here. It's just that elevator. At least, dat's what it is inside the school. Dere's another entrance you have to go underground for. Big metal doors as tall as a house dat slide right open. Dey're real awesome, but you have ta be careful. I got my tail stuck in it once and it busted up my tail real good, see?"

He turned his butt to her wagging his tail in front of her face with another cackle. Sure enough, she could see a slight awkward bend in it. It wouldn't be seen unless one was looking for it, but as he walked away, she was finding it harder and harder to miss. Not to mention the scars that were growing more prominent on his torso. Little stripes you could see if you got up close, the place where the hair could no longer grow. It was somehow endearing, and she was starting to wonder what he would be like if he wasn't full to the brim with rat poison. She was sure a bit of the psycho would stay but…with all those battle scars he seemed like a very good potential mate…

She shook her head, snapping out of her trance and caught up with him, trying to keep her eyes off the scars she was curious to know the stories behind. (_Is there any kind of security by the gate? There's got to be guards with guns there! Obviously its empty inside but they wouldn't leave a space with this much inside unprotected. Those metal doors, how do you open them? Is there a hand scanner or a password or do you have to trick some kind of gate patroller?_)

"Ya just gotta open the door," He instructed. "Turn the handle and open it up. It's simple, really. Even a slowpoke could do it." Aiden smiled at her, then sprinted down the hallway (still on all fours) to the end of the row before skidding to a stop. "The scientists aren't out yet, so ya can come on down. Don't worry, dey don't come until early tomorrow morning. Dat's when the real screaming starts. Now ya just hear some from behind dose doors dere. No one comes through dose after eight. Dey're too busy experimenting and such. Tomorrow all these empty cages we'll be full of shinies until four, dat's when the big metal doors open and they hull out all the warped pokémon."

She looked around at the large, flat metal table in front of her. Cement surrounded it, stretching a few feet out before resuming the dirt consistency, and the floor was dotted with dark marks that could have been anything from tar to bloodstains. (_Do they have experiments out here?_)

Meowth gulped, and she saw a glimmer of sanity shine through his eyes. "Dey…dey're not really doing experiments on the pokémon out here. Dey're just strappin' 'em down and hitting dem or shockin' dem." He swallowed. "I tink dey tink it keeps the pokémon in line. It keeps 'em from attacking the humans and fer a couple of days after dey come out dey don't even bother attacking the cages. It 

takes away dey're hope of escape and raises dey're fear. Makes me scairt too. Makes me glad I'm a mouser and I'm useful fer sometin' udder dan experiments. If not, I'd be shiny and angry before. I'd know payday at least. I'd definitely know payday if dey got deir hands on me. Least I'd be a good Meowth den, right?" He laughed lightly.

(_But you speak human talk. You have no idea how useful that is! Aside from Ash, no one understands a word I say. You should be proud of that! That's one of the best things of the whole world! To be able to talk to people? Any person? And actually have them _understand_? Do you know how much I would give to do that? I could finally explain things to people, tell them that someone's in trouble or explain what bad thing just happened without wasting five minutes to mime it all out! All that valuable time, time that would be wasted and could end up getting someone killed, it could all be erased if more pokémon were like you._) Pikachu smiled at him. (_Meowth…Aiden, listen to me. You're actually intelligent. You're more gifted than the strongest meowth around! Brains always beat brawn in the end. A gun beats a sword, a DNA lock beats a key. You've got so much power, and you don't even know it! You've got to have faith, keep your hope up, even when they've got you hunting poisoned rats or making you watch some pokémon getting strapped down to a table._)

"Da rats are poisoned?" He blinked, then repeated it again in a wondering voice. "Yeah, yeah. I remember sometin' like dat about da rats. Dey're poisoned all right! Dey're poisoned! Maybe I shouldn't be eatin' those poisoned rats. I bet it's not very safe. I could die. Bet you'd die if you ate one of dose rats, since da poison's meant to kill mice like you anyways."

(_Maybe you should stop eating them,_) She agreed quietly. (_You promise they never come out after a certain time? There's no lasers or anything for me to trip if I start wandering around. I don't want to get caught and put in one of these cages. I'm with you on that shiny thing. I like being yellow. Orange isn't my color._)

"Walk wherever ya feel like," Meowth confirmed. He bounded forward and leapt onto the table, barely catching the edge and having to scrabble at it madly to get all the way on top. Once there, he spun and smiled at her, unfazed by the scene he had caused. "I come on dese tables all da time. Dey don't even light up with the DNA scanners! It's all safe. It gets scary up here sometimes. 'Specially now. Dere's blood all over this table, Jasmine. You're not gonna wanna come up here. You won't like it at all, Jazzy. Not at all."

Her eyes widened. (_Jazzy! Who gave you the right to call me a stupid old name like that? Jazzy! That's music not a pokémon. You idiot, you shouldn't even be using my name._) Her nose was up in the air as she bounded up next to him, a small glare being aimed at the pokémon beside her. (_The nerve you've got! Jazzy! And where do you get off saying I can't take a little blood? You ripped a rat in half in front of me just a few moments ago. In case you haven't noticed, there's still an extermination going on out there. The war may be over but the hell's just beginning. I'm a rock of a pokémon and I'm not going to be swayed by some salty tasting copper smelling red liquid. I'm a girl and a mammal._) She laughed. (_I bleed every month anyway._)

He looked at her for a moment, then lowered his eyes with a shake of his head. "'Scuse me for soundin' sexist, 'cuz I know strong ladies like you don't like it when men like me try and protect you like this, but I tink it's terrible that a nice girl like you got all caught up in war. Don't get me wrong, I think it's terrible when they get the boys too, not da men dat know what dey're gettin' into, but those little babyfaced boys…I just tink it's sad dat males don't protect da women like they're supposed to. I tink it's wrong, when it's been that way for so many years."

She shrugged and sat. (_Old fashioned thinking in a new fashioned world. It hasn't changed with pokémon, I know. It hasn't changed with the meowths or the pikachus or the growlithe or kind of creature. But it sure has changed for humans. You fight for what you believe in, male or female, because they don't live wild anymore. Females aren't kept out of the battle so they can have the babies. Males don't kill the babies when they aren't theirs. Humans are different. They go to war. They build things. Pokémon have that intelligence, but we don't have the drive. We don't have the ability to drop our instincts like they do._ _It's completely different worlds, so you can't think of me as a female _

_warrior. I'm just a battler. I'm just a fighter. When I'm on that battlefield, the other pokémon isn't wondering if I'm male or female unless they've got the move Attract up their sleeve. Once you're in a pokeball the world has to change._)

Meowth glared. "But even though most pokémon let it happen, _some _don't want to go in a pokeball. _Lots _don't want to battle. I sure don't. Dese pokémon don't want to be in da cages, do dey Jasmine? Do ya really tink dey chose this instead of living free? I've asked. Most of dem didn't even get a fair fight. Dey were drugged and woke up here. Where's da justice in dat?"

(_I know it's horrible, Aiden. But we have to fight to make it better._)

"Why do _we_ have ta fight? We didn't even want to be in it in da first place! Dey dragged us into it!" He pointed to the back room, where an appropriately timed pokémon scream agreed with his accusations. "We should just leave dem! Break out and warn all the pokémon to be on high alert fer all humans. It ain't da way it used to be, not with all dis crazy fighting going on! Don't you tink we ought to get out while we still can?"

(_No,_) She shook her head. (_I won't argue with you, Meowth. It's a horrible thing what human shave done. They shouldn't have dragged us into it. It wasn't our fight. No matter what happens, it shouldn't be our fight. Plenty of people know that, and I know that Ash is going to be reluctant the day he has to reach back to his pokebelt and ask one of his closest friends to _attack _a human being, maybe even with intent to kill. I'm not so sure he'll be able to do it without me prodding him, but I will prod him. I have to, because we're in it and if we want to get out we'll have to fight out way out. I'm willing to fight my way out no matter what it takes. There's pokémon in here right now, you can't argue that. There's pokémon in those cages and in those pokeballs and they can't get out without our help. If you've grown to hate humans, you show it. But if you've grown to hate pokémon, you haven't given me a single clue._) She flared at him. (Do _you hate pokémon?_)

He shook his head. "Course I don't. I love pokémon."

(_Then how could you be willing to let all of them suffer and know you didn't do a single thing about it?_) She snarled. (_How could you be willing to leave your fellow pokémon behind just to help yourself? There's hundreds, thousands of pokémon who are going to die here if we don't think up a plan. Don't be a coward, Aiden. I certainly won't be. I'm going to get my trainer and I'm going to get out of here and the Rebellion is going to take down this damn operation once and for all._) She shivered. (_We take down this and Giovanni will come running. After that…we can get him if we can see him. When he comes down here we'll get him. Sure as hell we'll take him down and his fucked up organization with it._)

He gawked at her, several other pokémon joining him in the gaze. Mouths hung open, faces gazed through bars with hope beginning to light in their eyes, and whispered words of "Rebellion" and "Kanto pikachu" fluttered around the big space. It made her heart flutter, knowing that just a few words were lighting up hope. Now…she just had to make them come true before too many went out to the slaughterhouse. An operation like this was going to take time, but hopefully not too much time.

"Ya know…" Meowth said slowly. His mouth closed and the eyes came back to a reasonable size. The gaze was more questioning and curious now then astonished, and the pokémon in the cages were starting to get more curious about the subtle banter than the talk of freedom that was sure to be a long time coming. "I'm beginning to tink dere's nuttin' wrong with a tough gal after all. Not with one dat can speak the way you do. Ya gotta lot of authority on ya, ya know that? A boy would be scairt to stand up to a kid like you. I'm startin' to wonder if ya just scared the crazy right outta me! Ya might've scairt the old ways outta me too! Dat's just amazin' the way you do dat! All the pokémon, look at them! Dey're stunned speechless tanks to all your fancy words. Tell me, upstairs with all dose other pokémon, do you talk special dere too, Jazzy? Or are ya normal?"

As it often happened whenever she was the center of attention, she sat a little straighter, held her head up a little higher, and took longer strides. She walked like a queen, down the rows with pokémon eyeing her from either side. She was well aware of Meowth being baffled for a moment, just as she was well aware of him bounding from the counter and trying his best to keep up. She let him watch her for another moment before responding, happily soaking in all the attention.

She snorted at him, then twisted her ear to hear the cat pokémon's response. (_Normal? I'm a fucking goddess below or above and you'll do best to remember that. Simply remember that I'm better than you and we shouldn't have any kind of problems. And you're not going to want to have any problems with me since I'm probably going to be coming down here whenever I'm certain that Ash doesn't need me. You'll be waiting down here, won't you?_)

"You're comin' down every night, Jazzy?"

(_Don't call me Jazzy, but yes. I'll try and come down every night. Don't be surprised if I skip one or two. As for now, I want to get to some place slightly less depressing, since my work is done here, and I need to gather a bit more information on the school. I'm not going to those backrooms tonight. That's a bad idea, don't you agree?_)

"Should I start catching ya a rat for dinner?"

(_I don't know. That feels a lot like cannibalism since I'm a rat myself. Which reminds me: Feel free to kill the rats and pile them up. It'll keep your reflexes sharp. Stop eating them though. Get pokéchow from the creatures in the containers, the cages, whatever you want to call them. I want you to be a bit more coherent, like you are now that the rat poison is wearing off. Though I'm sure in a while the next rat will hit your system and you'll be cackling again?_)

"Dat's usually how it works."

(_Once again: No rats. I hope that's been made clear. I'm going to go up the elevator now and I'm going to come back tomorrow. You'll be waiting for me by the elevator and we can spend our nights learning all the names of the pokémon in the cages, maybe get a background from the ones that are willing to talk. After we've done that, I'll have to go back to Ash and I won't be able to come down here as often, but you'll understand that._)

"Don't I get a choice?"

(_No._)

A snicker form a nameless pokémon in a far away cage. (_Ooh, you've been whipped by that girl! Whipped, whipped, whipped! Whipped like me in this place! Hope you like being whipped by your girlfriend._)

(_Shut up, stupid, I'll get to you later._) They halted at the elevator and she turned to him coolly. His eyes were wide again with wonder. (_I'm not your girlfriend, but we'll see what you're like without the crazy rat poison. I enjoy feeling like a girl. If it takes a boyfriend I have to keep secret from my trainer, so be it._) She paused, then beamed with a dreamy sigh. (_I'm so thrilled about this. No, more than thrilled; I'm giddy. I haven't broken rules like this since I was a little pichu! It's so nice to be free of Ash every once in a while._)

Aiden blinked, feeling overwhelmed. "No rats."

She nodded. (_No rats. If you're good about that, I might let you call me Jazzy, but try to refrain from that until I give you the okay._) She spun and rushed into the elevator, eyeing the panel and shouting. (_Take me up, Donnie my man. I feel like I'm sixteen again._)

In another attempt to be cute, she waved her paw at him before the door closed and left him in the underground.

* * *

Meowth…is…so…damn…time consuming…to…write…-dies-  
Now that my community service hours are over, I'm going to try and update about every ten days. I'm also hoping you'll understand if there are delays for a while I shift into school-mode.

Finally, since I updated so fast this time, I'm sure you'd understand if I took a while to do my summer homework and try and rearrange my ideas. Hopefully, this shouldn't take longer than the twenty second, hopefully no longer than the twenty eighth, which would have been the date I updated chapter six if I was on time anyway.


	6. Sick

_**Sick**_

Despite the pleasant dream he was waking up from, he knew it was going to be a bad day. He knew it from the top of his clogged, stuffy feeling head to his shifting, nauseous stomach. He turned on his side, feeling a blush rise in his cheeks and moaned. He moaned with sickness, moaned with pain, and moaned with horror. Why? Because his 'pleasant dream' was obviously showing through his pants and the covers. Because he felt horribly sick and knew that he would spend his day throwing up, something he hadn't done for a very long time. But, mostly of all, it was simply because of the female sitting on her bed, a delicate smirk flashing across her speakers.

"Rude awakening from a lovely dream, huh Ash_ton_?" She mocked, legs swinging off the top bunk. As her head tilted to the side, she decided she could allow the smirk to stay. "I can't believe it, Ashton. You've got _those_ kinds of dreams. You really haven't been taking those pills. If you took them, you wouldn't have had that and you wouldn't be embarrassed like you are now. On top of it, you wouldn't have kept me up all night with your moaning. Just moaning and moaning and groaning but you didn't say a single word. That only leads to the question: Who was the unlucky gal who rocked your boat, sailor?"

Ash gritted his teeth and curled into the fetal position, regretting ever teaching her the sexual innuendo that had kept him, Brock, Tracey and all the others entertained on cold winter nights. He wasn't exactly sure if there was a snappy comeback that involved the phrase "my sex dream was about you", but he was almost positive that there wasn't one that he could make. First of all, he could not think of one. Secondly, he was quite sure if he ever could think of one, she wouldn't get it. That would be a huge let down, as he probably would have made the best sex joke of all time without a single person to hear about it.

"Well, Mist," He mumbled, "I don't think it's any of your business who it was about. So why don't you keep your mouth shut and let it go? I'm sick. Don't you pity me?"

She snorted. "Pity you? I should pity you when I _told _you in the first place that you'd get sick? I told you to stay out of the water. You could have the best immune system in the world and you'd still get sick. If it's a new virus your body doesn't know how to protect you from it. You've never got this. It escaped from the lab a couple months ago and a few traces of it are still around. Half naked, cold isn't the way to keep your immune system up to speed. Thankfully, it's a twenty four hour bug and it'll be gone by tomorrow. You'll just have a stuffed nose and a headache. Right now you've got fever, nausea, headache, stuffed nose and you're not going to be able to urinate, but you'll feel like you'll have to all day and night." She wrinkled her nose at his moan. "And you better not do that all day, moaning and groaning and keeping me awake. I'm sleeping."

"You're staying?" Ash chirped, feeling brighter. Finally sure his pleasant dream was gone from view; he pushed himself up and beamed at her. This caused a lightheadedness that sent him back into the mattress, still grinning. "And here I thought you didn't like me! Do I get soup instead of those food cubes? I don't care if they're healthy and it's good for me to eat every two hours. By the way, thanks for helping me sneak doubles. Even if you say it's only because you sneak doubles too I still think you did it because you secretly like me deep down." He grinned. She glared. "Anyway, it tastes like water and I haven't had a cheeseburger in weeks. I don't know how you stand it! When was the last time you had a cheeseburger?"

"I've never had a cheeseburger," She retorted, dropping down to the floor. "I'm going to play with the computer."

"What are you doing?" He asked eagerly, sitting up more slowly this time. He crawled to the other end of his bed, terrified to stand in case he fell, but excited to see what she would do with the laserscreen. "You told me you've got some weird little fishing rod you can use to go fishing with the screen. I think that's stupid. I mean, your screen is so small it doesn't seem like it's a fun game or like it's real or anything. I don't see why you can't hook it up to a TV. Sure, plasmas are a thing of the past, but they've got a good enough picture to make the game more fun. If this virus is so contagious, shouldn't you get out of here?"

"Nah," She shrugged. "I'm a strong, manly man. No stupid bug is going to get me. Cold? I laugh in the face of cold."

He sulked, "You don't laugh. You don't have any kind of emotion, liar. You're never going to let that go. Show me whatchya gonna do!"

The green eyed girl snorted again, rolling her green spheres up to the ceiling. "You keep talking about things you don't know a damn thing about. You'd figure that you'd know by now not to talk about all this stuff because, why? _You have no idea what you're talking about_. The screen grows, stupid. It's a laserscreen. They know how to control the magnitude of the light to grow and shrink it and have made it into a simple switch so big stupid head scratching monkeys like you can operate it." She held her finger to a button on the keyboard. The screen flickered off, then back on, purple light covering the far wall like paint. "Ta da."

His eyes went wide, sick fingers reaching out to brush the screen. They fell through, feeling nothing but air swirl around his palm. "That's awesome. What button did ya press, Mist? What's it say?" He continued to wave his hand back and forth through the screen until she slapped it away.

"I pressed the one that said 'full screen', stupid." She pulled open a drawer and brought out a fishing pole without the screen. The screen changed; rippling into a dark blue three dimension lake. The front of the digital boat tipped back and forth in the imaginary waves, and as Misty cast the line a lure zipped out and plopped into the water. "I made a lure that looks like me. It's called the Mini-Misty Lure, and it actually works pretty well. Since it's an old game, it tries to respond to creativity. I catch all kinds of things. It's a weird game though; you catch fish to eat instead of pokémon to battle with. That proves how old the game is. No one fishes to eat anymore."

"I went fishing with my dad when I was little," Ash brought up unexpectedly. "It was pretty neat, actually. We used worms, since pokémon won't spring for the lures anymore unless you've got something really tempting, and we caught more fish than you'd ever seen. It fed a whole bunch of people. We just went around, passing it out to all our neighbors and friends and they seemed to like it. It was traditional. He went every year, usually with friends but that year he took me."

"What does your dad think about you coming here?" She asked quietly. "Most parents hate it, usually the mom. They're afraid their children are learning to go to war. They're afraid sending them here is a death trap. It probably is. Did you know one out of every three students admitted here will die in course of duty, if not due to a gun or attack due to a loose virus, an explosion in the lab, or some other catastrophe? Look to your left, look to your right, and if they look like they're in better luck than you, be prepared to swallow a bullet."

Ash grinned at her. "Well, there's only two of us here, so we're safe. We'll be the sixty percent that lives. Hey, the odds are in our favor!"

"Nothing to do but talk to pass the time. Pretty stupid form of entertainment if you ask me, for a video game. Build something for fun that doesn't scream fun at all. It's supposed to be the peaceful, with the wind and water and life all around you. Seems a little stupid to put that in a game. You can't have life in a video game, can you? Not real life, anyway. Never told me 'bout your dad, Ketchum? Did he tell you war stories on the boat?"

"My dad's dead," Ash said in a somber tone. "He died at war, actually. My mom didn't really want me coming here. It's too dangerous. You can't really blame her for thinking that. It _is _pretty dangerous. Like you said, lots of kids die. But that doesn't matter because I'm not going to die. If it's one out of three people, well, my dad's gone so my mom and I have to live. See? It's all about being in our favor and looking at it positively. There's a bright side to that statistic." He swallowed and dropped his eyes from the screen. "My stomach's feeling upset again. I think I might be sick. Where's a bucket I can use to throw up in?"

She was on her feet in a flash, running to the bathroom and bringing back the plastic white bin before setting it by his face. "Go ahead and vomit in that. I don't care if it gets dirty. I can ask for a new one, at the very least swipe one. They don't care as long as I use it for something productive." She paused. "It probably was the screen that made you sick. Looking at a moving boat isn't going to help you get better, babyface. If you want I can change the game or make the screen smaller or-"

"I've got a weak stomach; you don't have to cover up. It's nice to see you've got a conscience, though," Ash murmured, clutching the bin. "Being sick doesn't help much. Whenever something gets me nervous or upset I start feeling nauseous. It's a bad thing for a Rocket, right? You'd think so, but I'm fine in stuff like that. It's weird. I don't know why I can handle running for my life and I can't handle something stupid like remembering my dad in the boat or thinking about dead people. Not blood, I can do blood. People bleed all the time. I know, I'm practically bleeding every day. I trip and scrape my knee and bang my head and my friends aren't much better. At least, May isn't."

Misty eyed him from the corner of her eye. "You care, Ash. There's your biggest problem. It's nice to see that you've got a conscience too. Not many people around here still feel. The white pills help it. Then again, so does a bucket. By the way, when you've finished throwing up go to the bathroom. Drink some water, brush your teeth, rinse your mouth out. If you don't you could start wearing some things away. It's good to be safe."

"I don't think I can't make it to the bathroom," He mumbled, quieting a heave of his stomach.

"I'll take you. Just get it out of your system. You'll feel better if you do. Don't you know that? Once you throw up you feel ten times better, your fever drops a bit. You'll be a new man. Not to mention I can clean out that bucket so we can start this all over again in a couple hours. Best to get the first round out of the way and go to sleep now," The agent nodded to him and sat by his head. "I don't get the vaccines, so I know this first hand. I know it doesn't feel like it now, but throwing up make you feel great."

"I don't feel like it anymore. It passed," He lied, shutting his eyes tightly. His body bucked involuntarily when his stomach went through another spasm. "Go play your game."

She leaned forward, just a few inches to whisper in his ear: "Sorry to ask, Ash, but did you happen to see your father's body when they brought it back from the war?"

That did it. He gripped the bucket tightly and let his stomach heave four times. Misty didn't flinch at the sound of vomit, not at the sound of his moans, instead staring ahead. Her right leg was pulled to her chest, the left stretching to the floor, and her arms looped around the bent knee with a calm grip. When all was done, she took Ash to the bathroom. He cleaned himself, she cleaned the bucket, and she led him back to the bed. A wet towel on his forehead, a gentle hand to tuck him in, and the boy was off to sleep.

Looking at his heavy eyes, she sighed. "Sleep, babyface. It's a twenty four hour bug, but it's nasty. Thank Arceus, Mew and the Powers That Be that I'm here to help you through it. You'd never make it through on your own. I don't care how many times you've thrown up; the only nice part of that experience is when the whole thing's over."

"You made it through alone," He retorted, yawning as he snuggled deeper into the pillow. "I can too."

"Oh yeah?" She asked, raising an eyebrow and thanking a few of those Legendaries again that he slept on his back. The cloth would have slipped off if he didn't. "Who says I made it through alone?"

He smiled, not his happy smile, but one of sympathy. "Mist, look around you. Who could've helped? What friend?"

Her jaw went slack and she turned her back on him. For some reason, her throat was tight, her eyes feeling a strange pressure in the corners. For a moment, she clenched her fists, trying to come up with a retort. That moment turned into a minute, and that minute into five. It was only then that she was able to spin to him and snarl in a harsh, fierce whisper. "Ashton Ketchum! You stupid boy! My name is Misty, not Mist! I'm not some weak little girl who needs taken care of. I can stand on my own two feet and that's how I like it." She gulped. "It's not like I haven't gotten used to it. Why the hell are you trying to change all that? Why do you even _care_? Stupid boy."

He was already sleeping. She couldn't help but figure that was how she got the courage up to tell him.

* * *

"You mentioned a May," She told him when his eyes opened. "The dream was about May, wasn't it?"

He blinked chestnut eyes at her. "My forehead isn't cold anymore. You took my towel, didn't ya Mist? Why'd you go and do that? Now I'm going to get hot any second and throw up again. I'm still tired too. Did you wake me up because I made you mad in some way? I'm sorry about making you mad. I didn't mean to. Whatever I said about you in my sleep, I didn't mean it. It might have been mean, but people can be mean in my dreams. My mom tried to kill me with a staple remover once. She got mad that I cursed her out in my sleep, but I explained it to her and she let it go. I can't remember dreaming anything about you, but I'm sure there's an explanation."

"No, I was just thinking. When I fish, there's nothing to do but think."

"How long have you been fishing?" He asked, propping himself up on an elbow.

"Three hours. In case you're wondering, I currently hold an unbeatable record at this game. The points are in the millions. Sadly, I'm nowhere close to beating it tonight, but that's because I played this game for four days straight. I put the controller on vibrate and fell asleep while waiting for fish," She explained, casting her line in a different part of the pond. "I was trying to figure out who you were moaning about last night, was it May?"

"I would've had a dream like that about three months ago," He informed. "We sort of, I don't know, fell out of love. She set her sights on someone else and as for me…I don't know what to say. The attraction was never there. I don't get that with a lot of people. It's weird for me to even…have a dream like that. My mom says it's because I'm a good boy, but I don't think so. I think I'm pretty dangerous. Don't you think I'm dark and sexy?"

"I can't vouch for sexy," She reminded, tapping her pocket. "Libido killer. Though I can tell you the only thing dark about you is your hair. Your soul is whiter than my skin."

"Racist," He joked.

"_No_, my skin is the color white. I'm not saying I'm Caucasian. I don't know what the hell I am. You can't deny that I'm white though. I'm pale. I've got no shame in it. People are so touchy about their skin color, and everyone knows it's because no one is ever happy with what they have. It's a survival instinct, jealousy. If you want something, you'll work hard to get it. Then you'll be able to breed and continue your bloodline." She jumped to the top bunk and went flat on her stomach, watching him from above with bright eyes. "So, you had a dream. It's weird for you to have those dreams about people. You weren't attracted to May, so let me guess; you've got a crush on Paul, the one that works the desk at the battle arena?"

He flopped back into bed. "I can't even be mad at you because you're serious. _No_, contrary to popular belief, I'm not gay in this life."

She crossed her arms and glared down at him. "Then who were you dreaming about? I don't see why you don't just tell me. Who am I going to tell? The news crew I keep in my closest?"

He muttered for a moment. "Listen, it's personal. If I don't want to share don't make me share, simple as that." He covered his face with the blanket before bolting up and gawking at her. "Hold on a second, Miss Misty. _Why _do you want to know? If I had a girlfriend it sure doesn't make a difference in _your _life. Are you jealous?"

She groaned. "Worse. I'm curious. Don't ask me why but you're just weird enough to be fascinating. I think it's because you don't take the pills. You really should take those pills, Ashy. They're good for you. Anyway, it all comes back to the same questions over and over. Every time you do something weird you just add to the list! Every time you try to _explain _why you do what you do, I add more questions to the list! You're so strange and…I don't know." She trailed off with a sigh, shaking her head.

Knowing she would continue, he kept silent. Not sure what she wanted to say, she stared at him. It wasn't long before they were locked in some kind of trance, not of love, but of wonder. She was fascinated by him, the way he dressed, the way he talked and acted, and she was desperately curious to wonder whether or not he was attractive to her. Because, staring into his face and taking the features, she could tell he was handsome, in a babyface way. She wanted to know if babyface was her style, a large surprise. She had certainly never wanted to know whether or not she would _like _a person or not.

He too was caught by curiosity, but only of those blue green irises, pupils grown big in the dimming room. They were so _damn familiar_. They almost agitated him, because some part of him was firmly assuring that he had seen those eyes on another person entirely. That person certainly wasn't anything like the tomboy he was gawking at, though he couldn't remember the name or face for the life of him. Though, all this was not to say he didn't _enjoy _the sight of those ocean colored windows. Eyes were about number four on his list of things he liked about a girl (without boobs, butt and lips, because none of the girls he mentioned to seemed to think these counted as traits). He shook himself out of it and closed his eyes, hoping that would spark her to finish her earlier thought.

"I like riddles, Ash. I can't tell you why, like people can't tell you why they enjoy a certain game or song. It's just a preference of mine. I like making up riddles; I like hearing them; I like solving them. They're second only to my obsession of swimming or that fishing game you saw this morning. Here's what my problem is, Ash: _You _are a riddle. I don't know if all 'normal' people act like you, but you're just absolutely baffling." She flipped on her back, ponytailed hair dangling off her hanging head. Her eyes closed as she searched for more words. She licked her dry lips and reopened them, hands burying themselves in sheets.

"I've never met a riddle I couldn't solve. Give me a math problem and I can't add two and two, but give me a story with some tricky flaws and I can spot every last one. There are three things I'm willing to pride myself on: I'm smart; I'm a great swimmer; I'm fast. So far I've beaten you in swimming. You're kind of clumsy, so I know I could beat you in a race. I've called you and idiot and that may be true but…" She rolled back on her stomach, satisfied to see his eyes were still open. "If I can't figure you out, you've won that one. You _can't _win, Ash. I just can't let that happen. I _hate _to lose. So here's the deal: Since I need to win, I need to ask you questions. You're so curious it's annoying, so I figure you want to know junk about me, don't you?"

He managed to croak out a "Sure, Mist" before resuming pinching himself under the covers to stay wake.

"Well then, easy solution. For every question I ask you, you can ask me one of your own. I think that's a really fair agreement." She paused and glanced down at his face, clicking her tongue. "Babyface is tired, isn't he? You could have just said. I know the bug takes a lot out of you. You're going to spend most of your day throwing up and sleeping. I know it sucks. I can keep myself entertained so feel free to go to sleep."

He blinked up at her. "You're kinda pretty, in a different way. You don't get noticed because you don't take the time to let it show, but since I can't do much but look at you I can tell. You're pretty under all the dirt and smirks and sarcastic comments. You better stay away from all my friends because they'll drag you away and make you over if they got the chance. They'd want to make you pretty, but that'd be a horrible thing to do. Guys don't deserve to just look at you and know you're pretty. That's too easy. They should have to work for it. They should have to really look at you and figure it out."

"We can't make the world sick just to look at me, Ash," She rolled her eyes. "Besides, that's all the fever talking. Go to sleep."

"Why can't I think you're pretty? How come it has to be the fever? You're a girl, Mist. You know you're a girl. On top of that, you're a pretty girl. I'm not afraid to say it." He glared up at her stubbornly, his words beginning to slur suddenly. "If you weren't an emotionless bitch that would shoot me if I tried it, I'd kiss you. I swear. If the room wasn't so damn _hot _and if it wasn't _spinning _I'd grab you and kiss you."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she bounded off the bed. Gentle lips met his forehead, making the boy moan and shiver with what he could only call "icy lips". She pulled away slowly, blinking and licking lips that were dry once more. Her heart was _pounding _in her chest, each beat seeming to impale the muscle on her ribs and send spikes of pain through her ever tightening chest. She shook it off. It figured, the day she needed her pills she couldn't take one.

"Your fever is soaring. I don't have icy lips. You need a Nurse Joy, but I can't leave you here alone and…shit." She waved her hand at him. "Flip over and close your eyes, nosy. I need to do a few things to make sure you're still able to wake up and go to class tomorrow instead of dropping dead on the spot. So, come on, shut those milk chocolate eyes and let me do my job as the great protector of babyface."

He smirked. "You like milk chocolate?"

"I don't get sweets, Ash," She retorted. "But, when I do, I only like milk chocolate ice cream. If given the option, I like dark chocolate bars."

He giggled. "Only you'd like something that bitter. But I'm going to do what you said and roll over and close my eyes. Just 'member, you _owe _me for this one. How about a kiss? You tried to give me one earlier but you missed and got my forehead. Can you really tell my temperature like that, or did you just want to be close to me?" He turned on his side, facing the wall and continuing his ever maddening giggling.

Her hand darted under the mattress with quick, precise motions. Corsola was the second from the right and…she had it. Gripping it tightly she expanded it and released the pink pokémon, whispering "quiet time" before letting it bounce to the floor. At the pokémon's delighted, yet slightly mystified expression, Misty kneeled and began a quick, whispered explanation. "Ash is sick, sweetie. I need you to watch him for me and stay hidden under the bed while I go get Nurse Joy."

It nodded, scampering under the bed while Misty sped out the door. Nurse Joy was easy to get and easy to bring back. Instead of her usual spot in the back of the longue, she seemed to have been on her way somewhere and was walking passed the elevator when it dinged open on the ground floor. Once Misty explained the problem, both she and Chansey were all too happy to help. So, attempting to keep her cool, Misty began the quick walk down the hallway back to the room.

"I don't know how high the fever is, but it's pretty high. He got that bug they let loose in the lab. Remember that? All the kids have to get vaccinated for it? Ash isn't. He's brand new, imported from Pewter. I don't know why he was convinced he didn't need them or who decided that it's okay to wait a few months to get him all his meds, but someone doesn't know what they're doing. He's starting to rant, calling me pretty and something about milk chocolate versus dark chocolate."

"Dark chocolate is healthier for you," Nurse Joy suggested helpfully. "Chansey, do you have the B-4328?"

"Chansey!" It sang merrily, holding out a dagger of a shot.

The pink haired woman smiled and gathered the shot from it, showing Misty what exactly she was going to stick her friend with. "Is your friend afraid of shots? This virus tends to put an aggressive streak in some people. I can't tell you how many bumps and bruises I had from boys like him not being sedated properly. Chansey got distressed from healing me up so often, didn't you Chansey?" She smiled at the trotting pokémon. It sang its name again.

"I don't know if he's afraid of shots. He could be. I didn't really ask him. I didn't think it was something I needed to know. He wasn't violent at all today, just weird. He was perfectly fine up until a few minutes ago and he just got it this morning. He took a shower and didn't dry off. I think that's what got him so sick. Being cold and wet isn't very good for an immune system, is it, Nurse Joy? You'll have to tell him I was right, because he refuses to believe me."

"No violent tendencies don't seem to mean much," Nurse Joy sighed. "It's just small feelings are amplified by it. It was a huge failure at trying an aerosol version of the pill. It did the exact opposite of what they were trying to do, not to mention all the side effects. They say it should be completely gone from the school in just a few days."

A twist of the doorknob and they were in the room, Ash was sweating and moaning to a fever induced tantrum. He was ranting, gripping and releasing the covers and demanding imaginary enemies get away from him. Tighter and tighter his hands dug into the sheets, and Nurse Joy moved up swiftly. She turned the shot in her hand, removing the safety plastic from the tip and moving forward cautiously. "Misty, you have no clue how your friend is with shots?"

"Not a clue," She replied.

"Can you calm him down?"

"I could try, but I don't have the slightest idea how," Misty shrugged. "Ash and I aren't very close friends. We're not friends at all, really. We're just roommates."

"Come on, Mist," The boy whined in his bed. "I even called you pretty. Can't you even try and be friends with me? Please Misty! Look, I'm calling you Misty! Can't we be friends? You've got to make up your mind fast because they're getting closer. If they get me then you'll never be able to tell me that you really did like me! Please, Mist! They're morphs! They're pokémorphs and they're going to kill me if you don't help. _Please_."

"Morphs?" Nurse Joy blinked. "Is he just making up stories or…?"

"No," She shook her head. "He must've been in my closest, looking for more books. Pokémorphs weren't in a lot of stories, though you'd figure they'd be all over mythology. They were humans, generally villains, who could change into a certain pokémon. I'd be able to turn into, say, a ponyta and Ash would be able to turn into a Pikachu. They retain their human minds, but they have all the skills of a pokémon. I don't know how he managed to find that. It was stacked under romance books."

"Well, would you mind telling him you're friends? Perhaps that will calm him down enough for me to give him the shot?"

"Can't Chansey use some kind of calming move?"

"She doesn't know any yet. She's in training. I just received her from officials earlier today," Nurse Joy sighed. "Please, is it that hard to say he's your friend for my safety? If you don't do this he could severely injure himself or others. It's very dangerous, so if you could please lessen the risk of the situation. I'm not much of a people doctor."

"He couldn't really hurt you, he's not that strong," Misty muttered, then continued in a louder voice. "Ketchum, I suppose we are pretty good friends. You don't have to worry about the pokémorphs. They're on our side."

"They can't be on _both _our sides," He whispered frantically. He seemed calmer now, the thrashing had stopped, and Nurse Joy approached. "I think they're getting closer. I can sense 'em. I'm scared, Mist. I don't want to die. Those pokémorphs are as freaky as hell. I read them in your book, and now they're here. Aren't you scared?"

"No, Ash. Because they're on our side. We're on the same side. They're Team Rocket's pokémorphs. They made them in a lab."

It was at this amazingly inappropriate time that Nurse Joy decided to quickly inject him with the shot. She was pulling out the shot as a completely wild, thrashing and screaming Ash dealt a strong blow. She skidded across the floor, coming to rest a few feet away from the still terrified boy. Misty grabbed the women's arm, yanking her out of Ash's now flailing body, glaring at the Chansey who seemed unable to do anything but stare on with petrified eyes. Nurse Joy seemed to be barely there, only semiconscious as her glazed over eyes stared at the ceiling.

"Ash, you dolt! You hit Nurse Joy! She was trying to help! That damn shot better be fast acting. Nurse Joy? Nurse Joy, if you're awake, how long does it take for the shot to take effect? Tell me quick, I need to know when I can go over there and touch him without getting my butt kicked. He's going to be mad at me if you don't help me fast." She dropped to her knees and tapped Joy's face lightly. "Wake up, Joy. I need your help."

"Five minutes."

"Thank you," Misty sighed, rubbing her temples. "Five minutes, though. That's a long time. Most of these get…" She glanced at the now unconscious nurse and swore again; quite irritated that no one seemed able to hold up a conversation with her. "Corsola, would you mind returning yourself to your pokeball? I promise to get you out as soon as I can, but I need a break tonight. It's been a long day, as I bet you can tell, can't you sweetie?"

The coral pokémon crawled out from under the bed, smiling at her trainer. It looked at Ash, curious as to why there was another person in the usually empty room. Looking around, she was surprised to find that there were _many _people in the room. Not only that, but the person in the bed was a boy. A male was sleeping in her trainer's room (not too peacefully) and there were people everywhere. There had to be something weird going on. She wasn't sure what, but…

"Corsola? What are you staring at him for?" Misty insisted. "You need to get away. He's very sick and he might accidently hit you. Plus, if he wakes up and sees you we're in double the trouble. You want to stay with me, right? I don't know him all too well. He might turn us in. They'll take you away."

Well, with that in mind, there was only one thing to do, and that was to jump onto Ash and stare at his face. Strangely enough, she was not only hit but seemed to calm the thrashing boy. His breathing was evened, though he still sweat and the fever apparently remained. One wild hand came up to stroke the pokémon, running his fingers all along its body. The pokémon chirped with delight and leaned into his touch, letting out a high pitched hum that Misty had come to recognize as a purr.

This made her not just mad, but furious. Misty had caught Corsola on a class trip. It had taken her ages to sneak away and corner the pink pokémon for a fair battle. It had happily come along with her, even knowing the terms of service, and Misty had assumed it liked her. It cuddled into her the first time she pet it, and after a week or so, it had begun making the high hum that she had begun to love. But here was Ash, a second into meeting it, and already as close to it as she was.

"Corsola, you get away from him right now!" Misty snapped, the shock wearing off. The pink pokémon did little more than glance up at her, still with half lidded eyes and humming. "He's nothing but trouble! I…I'm dragging Joy into the hallway and when I get back, you better be off his chest."

Not surprisingly, the little creature was still on the boy and humming when she returned. Shockingly, Ash was wide awake and smirking at the redhead.

"So, Mist…" He grinned, a much too merry gleam in his eyes. "You've got pokémon under your bed, don't you?"

"She isn't mine!" Misty growled, feeling her heart speed up. "She belongs to Nurse Joy, the one I dragged out in the hallway. She doesn't have a pokeball. That's why she's out. You better get her outside to Nurse Joy right away or…" She gulped. _Crap. _"Just keep it in here and go take care of the nurse. She's unconscious. I'll…it doesn't matter what I do with it. You just get your ass outside, babyface so I can get this all straightened out!"

Ash turned his attention to the little pokémon. "She's your trainer, isn't she?" He asked sweetly.

Almost immediately it dived into a narrative, chatting away with childish excitement. Misty gawked as Ash not only listened to the gibberish, but replied in English. It wasn't long before Misty was completely left out, pacing forward and gawking at the conversation being held. Every some often his eyes would shift to her and he giggle or snort or just a little half smile her way before turning back to Corsola and asking it more, informational questions. It went on and on, Misty's temper flaring until, in a huff, she stormed to the computer and cast the line once more. Her toes curled against themselves and fingers gripped the rod too hard as she glared at the porcelain waters. For a moment, she wished she had bothered to download a shooting game.

"It takes a special trainer to handle a gyarados," Ash comforted, sitting down next to her. "You deserve those pokémon."

"Like I give rat's ass about what you think," She snapped, eyes never wavering from the digital lake. "Just go away, Ash. I've done my part. I saved your ass today and you know it just as well as I do. So…so get out of my room and go do something normal. Take care of my pokémon, since I'm sure they like you better anyway. Just get out of this stupid room and be normal instead of some oversensitive, right-brained, pansyass liberal hippie!"

He glared. "Only if you stop being an oversensitive, left brained, freedom hating conservative bitch. I'm just trying to be helpful, Mist."

"And what's with that nickname?" She growled. "I've told you again and again I hate it. I don't like the name Mist! My name's Misty! It's _just _Misty! I hate that stupid nickname almost as much as I hate you. You're so annoying, bugging me all the time with your questions. It's not even questions about the school! I know everything about the school. I can handle questions about the school. I can answer anything about Team Rocket, about books and stories and pokémon and all sorts of things! As long as it's something, well, _intellectual _instead of your right brained touchy feely complete crap."

"It's not _completely _crap," Ash argued, sighing. "And I know you want to yell at me and I'm not going to yell back. You're frustrated. I can understand that. My mom always says I'm frustrating. It must be hard from having no one talking to you to having one of the most annoying people in the world ranting at you all the time. Maybe we can talk it over."

It was her turn to glare now, tossing the remote to the ground and looking at him fully. She wasn't sure why she wasn't taking a pill, not when the danger had passed and there would be nothing wrong with slipping into sweet unconsciousness. But, just for now, for one too perfect moment, she wanted to be angry. She wanted to glare and growl and hate until finally, something in her broke, and she pinned Ash to the floor with lightning speed.

The breath was knocked out of him with a whoosh, leaving the boy to gawk up at the pill-free teen. One hand pushed into his chest, the other pressing his forehead. Each of her shins rested on each of his thighs, pinning them to the floor as well. For a moment, he couldn't speak, then the breath filled his lungs and he grinned. "Holy shit. You're like lightning. No wonder you ripped through that water. Can't believe it, Mist. You're freaking lightning!"

She pressed him harder into the floor. "My name isn't, Mist, babyface."

She didn't know how he had done it, but suddenly she was under him. One hand sat, dead center of her chest, pressing her down with a strength she would never have guessed he had in him. He leaned forward, warm breath tangling with hers as he beamed that innocent, childish smile. "And my name isn't babyface. See, this is why I wanted you to hit me. I was curious. I _know _I can take you when it comes to strength. I work out all the time. Swimming gives you endurance, and I guess muscle strength too, but that's only when you get Olympian good. This doesn't make you uncomfortable or, y'know, violate, right? Because I really don't want to violate you."

She squirmed under him, clawing at his hand furiously. "Stop it! You cheater!"

"You tackled me first!" He retorted, eyes wide. "And _I'm _a cheater? I'm just defending myself form the crazy hothead who started it!"

He looked at the girl under him and paused to reflect. "But I probably did overreact. I can tell I've got loads more experience than you. First, you leapt at me; which, though it was pretty unexpected and awesomely fast, was pretty uncoordinated. You let your guard down the second you thought you had me pinned, not even having fighting me before. You didn't know what strength I had, so I think that's just a stupid move. Then, what else? Oh! You didn't have any idea how to hold me down, to keep me from getting in a position to flip me off. My legs might have been stuck," He grinned proudly, "at least, they would've if I wasn't awesome strong. My arms were still free, Mist!"

She bucked at the name and dug her nails into his wrists, making the boy cringe. "Lemme go or you'll bleed. I _hate _that name."

"That's how you control the gyarados, isn't it? You're the alpha. The strongest leads and you must have done something crazy to prove you were the best." He watched her simmer. "I've hurt worse than this. I'll let you up if you ask nicely."

"My arms may be useless," she began, and he felt her shift, aiming her knee at his groin, "but my legs sure as hell aren't. I've heard this hurts for _hours _after the initial blow. Wanna tell me after you feel it? I can use it in my research on fighting, since I need so much more experience to handle a man at your level."

"So, do you want to see how I'd get out of this? I fight girls all the time. My dad taught me how to protect that way before anything else."

His left knee came up and around hers, shoving it flat to the floor, then did the same with his right. He wasn't fast, definitely not. She could easily have countered his moves if she had any idea how. As he had her pinned, waiting before speaking, he decided that she certainly would be an excellent match for him, for fighting. Her speed and flexibility would let her use his weight against him, and his strength would do what strength was meant to do, weigh her down and knock her out. He was sure that could be fun if she gave him the chance. So, as if trying to make it better, he smiled at her surprised face.

"I could teach you how to fight. I can't teach you much, because you fight different than me, but I can show you the basics and then get you a special teacher from there. You'll be a great partner. I promise not to keep you pinned so long if you agree. But I'll only let you up this time if you apologize for body slamming me like that. I don't think I'm going to get the chance to hear you say you're sorry too often, so now would be a really awesome time."

"I won't," She said stubbornly, looking towards her bed with a fierce frown. "I hate you, Ash Ketchum. I've got loads of patience and you'll get tired of this before I do."

"Nope. I won't," He snorted. "I've still got a libido. I don't take your nasty pills. This is more pleasure than pain."

"Is not," She argued back. "You can't kiss me or anything. If you _have _a libido and you can't express it than it gets irritating and makes you lose your focus, hence the pills. One the other hand, if you do try and kiss me or do _anything _like that, I'll get that gun I've got hidden in the room and shoot you in the face." She looked up at him, seeing the mild worry flicker in his eyes and let the corner of her mouth flick up, her own blue irises dancing. "What, you're still afraid of that? You already know what I've got under my bed."

"Doesn't mean you couldn't have a gun hidden somewhere else," He retorted. "But you wouldn't really shoot me, would you?"

Her brow furrowed. "There are nights I've debated it, Ash, I've really thought about it. So far, you've made it out alive. Thanks to the fact that I don't have a gun, it's awfully hard to shoot you. However, if I ever get a knife or a vial or poison or even the very same weapon we've been talking about all along, I promise to take it into consideration. I promise to make it quick. You can't live now; you know that, don't you? You found my pokémon and it's pretty risky to keep you alive."

"Won't it be riskier to kill me?"

"No," She shrugged. Apparently, she felt it deserved no other explanation and she bucked again. "You weigh too much. Get off."

"If you can talk you can breathe. You're fine," He shot back, easing up on his grip nevertheless. "Don't think you can escape because I'm being gentle. I could slam you back down into the floor and…and I could crack your ribs and pop lungs and all kinds of things."

"Cocky, aren't we?" She returned. "Besides, you wouldn't really crack my ribs and pop my lungs and all kinds of things, would you?"

A small pout graced her features, and he arched an eyebrow: a trade of expressions. "Did I teach you how to do that pout? Only chatot should parrot."

"But it's a good way to learn." She raised her hand and poked his cheek. "Let me up before I gouge out your eyes. I've heard there's a lens inside. Maybe I'll cut them open and donate it science. After all, your eyes seem to see all kinds of weird things that aren't there: friendship, me caring for you, pokémorphs." She crossed her arms (a hard task around his hand) suddenly and glared. "You stole my books, you ass. Did I say you could go through my books?"

He grinned, remembering a little tidbit of information. "You've got an entire encyclopedia on _just _water pokémon. That's why you flunked your Battle IQ test, isn't it? You've got some kind of gym leader blood in your veins."

There was the sound of a door opening and slamming shut, then a cautious voice from the other side. "You can finish whatever you're doing but, uh, Ash Ketchum's presence is requested as soon as possible in the office. If need be, I'll be happy to escort him down. There might be an, um, addition to his schedule and…" there was a hushed whisper the two barely caught through the door. "Ohmegod, he's not old enough to be doing_ that_!" Then, louder, through panted breaths: "He just needs to come down to the office straight away. It's really, really, really important that he does and, uh, Mew! The rubberband rule!"

Ash pulled away from Misty slowly, sitting on the floor with his head cocked to the side. Misty followed him up, and parroting once again, she tilted her head to the side to see what that was supposed to do. When it did nothing, she shrugged and scampered back to her bed, swallowing a pill and darting under the covers to escape from the day's emotion. Ash could do what he pleased, she thought, as long as he didn't try to pin her again. She wasn't very happy about losing the fight, and promised herself she wouldn't talk to him the rest of the night to prove it.

"We weren't doing anything gross. We were wrestling. Don't have such a perverted mind." Ash brushed off his pants, urging the blush to fade from his cheeks and began towards the door. "Who'd you say you were? Did Nurse Joy want me to get my vaccinations?"

"No, though I did see her running down the hallway and holding her head. Did you do something to her?"

"I'm busy and I've been sick all day. Can you come back later?" He cast a glance to Misty, breathing even under her blankets and sighed. "You made me lose my place with my friend. She'll be out all night now, thanks a lot."

"Come on, they really need you at the office, Big Brother."

At this, Ash stiffened. That was a nickname, sure, (he didn't have any siblings that he knew of) but there was only _one _girl who called him that.

The door creaked open, and half of a dainty, girlish, bright eyed, blue haired face appeared in the crack. She giggled, light and carefree, as a hand came up to brush through her hair. She bounced up and down on the other side of the door, as if unable to contain her excitement in the tiny package. At thirteen, she could have easily passed for Ash's age if the shirt was tight enough, and easily pass for someone much younger with her hair in pigtails.

"Big Brother, come on out. There's some _really rad _news you need to hear."

And at this, Ash stiffened all the more. There were only two things Dawn was sent away from the base for. The first was the obvious, to use the sexy-cute look to charm her way through the cities, distracting the store owners while her rebellious friends snuck in the back and loaded up on supplies. The other wasn't as much, and it wasn't too happy either. Dawn's cheerful face and bright attitude was the perfect way to break bad news to a rebellion agent undercover. Considering Ash was supposed to go home tomorrow (along with his mother's idea for a code phrase 'really rad' meant 'rebellion'), him and Pikachu both, to discuss the layout of the school and make a few maps, he had a faint idea what it was.

"How much longer?"

The smile vanished and the face leaned against the doorframe. "Depends. Do you know where my boyfriend is in this hellhole?"

He was tempted to scold her about saying 'hellhole', but he had a bigger concern on his mind. Well, two, really, just like the two reasons Dawn was racing around off base. His first was his need to pull out the sexy-cute charm. He would need to get Misty to tell him much more than she wanted too, or at least find out who he _could _sweet talk to finish off the map and make a plan to yank out Kenny. The second was the bad news thing again, because he liked Misty. He even had that slight crush (which he was sure would fade quickly) on her. But he had, once again, two options with that bad, bad news.

He could A) leave her, let her wallow in pills and forget quickly before the Rebellion destroyed the school or he could B) be selfish and rip her away from her home once the time came, drag her down to the Rebellion and try to get her situated. This plan would quite possibly end up with her staying wild, fiercely dedicated to Team Rocket and refusing to see any other way. This would leave her last few months ones filled with anger and pain, and she would probably be killed the second she posed to much trouble.

He felt himself aching desperately for the second option, aching to throw morals out the window, and he excused himself from Dawn.

He excused himself so he could rush away, throw open the toilet, and be sick.

* * *

Alright, is this audience mature enough for me to use the word 'erection'? I wasn't sure, so I didn't write it. I don't know if this will pop up later, but I feel like an immature teenager (regardless of the fact I _am _one) writing 'pleasant dream' and such. So, can I say that from now on? Please inform me in your review. If you review. Which sixty eight of you don't…thanks for that…really boosts my low typical teenage girl self confidence. XD

Ah well, about seven of you review per chapter, **and I thank those who do! I always appreciate it!**

**DELAY EXPLANATION: **To those who care, the delay (severe delay, which I apologize for) was due to school, overall stress, and the inconvenient truth that there are twenty four hours in a day. If someone could try and bump that up to thirty two I'd update loads faster. :D All joking aside, I'll try to update faster. It's just a matter of finding the time to write! I'm in a few AP classes now, lots of homework, and I don't have a bus ride or a study hall anymore. Be patient, but I swear to do my best!


	7. Kenny

_**Kenny**_

He hated throwing up. He figured that, as often as he did it, it wouldn't bother him anymore. But every single time it happened, he wanted to die. His hands clutched at the porcelain, cold and smooth under his fingers. His stomach debated heaving and he let his chin rest against the side of the bowl, breathing slowly. Ash took the time to think about what exactly his reasons were. Why was he bent over the toilet, throwing up what had to be just plain bile now? He could blame the sickness, which he would surely tell Dawn, but he knew better than anyone that couldn't have been it. He could be throwing up because Kenny was missing, but then again, he had always found Kenny to be obnoxious and he wasn't all too sure that Kenny would have much of a problem with being captured for a few days. He hoped it wasn't the Misty thing. He knew it was the Misty thing, but he really, really hoped it wasn't.

And his stomach gave another fierce heave. The muscled clenched too tight and twisted and he bent forward involuntarily. Nothing came up, thankfully, and he went to rinse his mouth and brush his teeth. His throat was burning and his mouth tasting disgusting, like bile and sour milk. The boy put a little dab of toothpaste on his tongue, hoping to get rid of whatever lingering taste was tucked inside the corners of his mouth. He jumped out of skin when Dawn was there, clad in the short miniskirt/midriff shirt that Team Rocket agents were infamous for (though her outfit lacked the black undershirt). Her hair was done up in the usual way, two big chunks sectioned off in the front, bright yellow bands standing out among the black locks. She smiled at him, all her teeth showing with unbridled joy, and he felt ashamed. How many times had she seen him throw up that it no longer fazed her?

"Are you okay, Ash, or is it just the sickness?" She asked, walking closer and peering up into his face. Her eyes were a bright, pastel blue and wide as she looked, looking almost more like a curious monkey than a teenaged girl. "You've gotten taller in the past few months, you know that? I can't believe it! Everyone thought you'd be short forever but you're still growing! It won't be long before you're actual human height! If you're really lucky, you might even get to reach Gary's height! Wouldn't that be awesome if you ever managed to get taller than him? You'd finally beat that jerk at something! But, really! Good for you!" She had to back up and sweep the hair out of her face, the sectioned off locks were constantly falling into her face.

"Of course I'm growing," He said indignantly when the shock had worn off. Ash leaned forward and took a huge gulp of water, sloshing it around in his mouth before spitting it back into the sink. The taste was still lingering, but barely there anymore. He could ignore it now. "You said you had some kind of information from the Rebellion. Kenny's gone, but do you really think he's somewhere around here? What would he be doing down here?" He walked past her out to his bed while she followed eagerly behind. "There wasn't a siege on the Rebellion, was there?"

"No, Ash…" Dawn sat next to him and squeezed his shoulder. "You know how this was supposed to be your first big mission. You've proved yourself time and time again that you're probably the strongest, if not _the _strongest of our people, it's just that you have an overprotective mother and you're very valuable and special to everyone and…you know how your mother gets." She looked away as he tried to meet her eyes.

Her hand was ripped from his shoulder as he stood, taking a step back from her. "I wasn't…this wasn't really my mission, was it? I wasn't alone. They stationed Kenny up here too, didn't they? Like I'm still some kid who needs protecting they sent someone up to watch me, didn't they? Bet Kenny had a helluva job of it, didn't he? I didn't see him once! Or maybe, just maybe he's so much better than me that I didn't even notice. Stupid me!" He laughed. "I thought that I would finally be able to handle a mission. I had a six year delay for my mission, more than anyone else, but I should have known that I couldn't have possibly gotten a mission of my own yet."

"Ash, it wasn't like that! You know if it was up to anyone else, absolutely anyone but your mother you know we would have left you alone. But you're…" She hugged him around the waist. "I know it's horrible, Big Brother! I know it isn't fair and if I could have changed it I would! It's got to be  embarrassing to have a twelve year old watch out for you, but if it makes you feel any better…" Dawn whispered the next part, holding him tighter, "Kenny couldn't…he couldn't see you Ash. He knew you were in the records, and he said once or twice when he was walked through the hallways he saw a pair of jeans, but he didn't even realize it until later. That's how perfectly you blended in. You were the perfect spy. And Kenny was only here for about a week before we lost contact. And you never sent any kind of contact."

"I wasn't supposed to," He said rigidly. He undid her arms from around his waist and narrowed his eyes. "Sue me for doing my job. I can't believe they sent someone after me. I can't believe my own mother didn't have any kind of faith in me!" His voice climaxed to a shout. "She sent someone after me! I can't believe this! What does she think I am? I'm plenty strong and smart and, Arceus! My own mother! My own _mother!_"

"Ash, your roommate! Don't you think she'll-"

"She's out for the night," Ash muttered. "She took one of her damn pills. Trust me, you could skim her ear with a bullet and she wouldn't even blink her eyes. Just tell me what I'm supposed to be doing here now. Run back to my mother and tell her I'm so glad she sent someone after me? Should I tell her what a horrible time I had up here, and how I hope I never have to leave her again? I think she'll enjoy that, no matter how much of a lie it is. I know she wants to keep me safe, and I love her for it, but, honestly. She could have just told me she wanted someone on the mission along with me. I would have understood."

Dawn gripped his hand this time, she always was a touchy person. "I know it hurts, Ash. I can't imagine what it would feel like to be in your place. But you sound bitter and angry and it's not like you to be this way. Did you see something bad up here? Is that why you're like this?" She laughed lightly. "It can't just be this. Your mom's done crazy stuff than this to you before. Remember when you were little and she was afraid you'd burn your hair on your birthday candles?"

He yanked his hand away. "I don't want to be touched right now, Dawn."

"Ash, please, can't you just focus on the real problem."

"I can't do anything until Pikachu comes back or Misty wakes up," He muttered. "I need them to help me look around. Misty can get in anywhere legally and, well, you know how Pikachu is. She can get in anywhere thanks to the rodent thing. I'll keep a lookout for Kenny, Dawn, and I'll be back the second I find him. You ought to go back to the Rebellion, tell them I'm fine and searching for Kenny. I've got all my pokémon, no one's suspecting me." The boy sniffed. "Apparently I'm doing a bit better than the guy who's supposed to be watching me."

She glared. "Ash Ketchum! That's my boyfriend, do you hear me? Don't you dare talk about him like that! Don't you dare! If you're going to be mad at anyone, be mad at your mother! But don't you be mad at him for doing his job, and don't you say a thing about getting caught." She slapped him hard, right across his cheek and he did nothing to prevent it, just rubbed at the tender spot. Her creams rose, almost hysterical. "You feel bad, but for all you know he could be getting tortured right now! And you, you don't seem to give a damn!"

"I care, Dawn," He whispered. "I'm going to look for him. He's not being tortured. He's not hurt. I'm sure he's fine. They wouldn't do anything to him because he's not worth much alone, they know that. He doesn't know much, he doesn't have the strategies. They _know _that. They're going to hold him for ransom, or just make sure we know he's up here. That gets better agents up here, agents that know everything about us, and _that's _when they'll start torturing _those _agents. Kenny's just in jail, Dawn, he's not in any real danger. You can calm down and let me do what I have to. Are you up here to babysit me or am I getting someone else?"

"No one," She murmured. "They're afraid to send anyone up. It was a big enough debate trying to get me up here, and I probably won't ever be able to come back. Not once I leave. They'll know my face. Thankfully, they don't suspect you. They think Kenny was the only one, at least, that's what we've heard from the double agents and anything we've picked up from spy cams." Dawn smiled at him weakly. "Ash, you're on your own this time."

He blinked, glancing her way, then out into space. "I'm on my own this time. Huh. Weird. You'd figure there'd be some kind of…I don't know. I guess I just thought I'd feel better. It's my first real mission all by myself but…I don't feel much of anything. Maybe I feel a little bad, a little guilty about Kenny and about what I said about my mom. But I don't feel happy about finally being on my own. I'm going to miss not having any of you around." His lips twitched up. "You don't need to worry, I'll survive. I just don't like being on my own."

"You've got Pikachu," Dawn pointed out. "You've got all your pokémon. Plus, you've got whatsherface as your girlfriend over here. Marlene, isn't it?"

"Misty," He corrected. "She's not my girlfriend. How'd you even manage to get Marlene out of Misty. They both start with M but they don't even rhyme or sound alike at all! Besides, she's not really a fan of mine. She probably knows I'm undercover for the Rebellion but it hasn't gotten through yet. She keeps glaring at me and pushing me away and I think I might have gotten through to her if you hadn't barged in. But you scared her off and she ate a pill. You know about the pills? They take them to limit emotion and stuff. It knocks Misty out and I think it just leaves some mild, lingering effect whenever she's awake. It seems to wear off pretty fast though. Anger breaks through pretty easily though. I don't think the pills block that one."

"She probably liked you too and can't show it." Dawn skipped over to the girl, despite Ash's protests, and pulled away the blanket to examine Misty thoroughly. "Red hair, short, huh, you don't see a lot of short hair anymore. That's pretty weird. It's not even cut in that bowl shape that's in. Comes down plain straight across. She's got a nice face though, not bad at all. Something familiar about her though. Maybe I saw her around somewhere earlier. She's got the same kiddish thing we've got going, Ash. No freckles. So many redheads have freckles and she doesn't. That's pretty weird. Maybe they come out in the sun? Have you seen her in the sun? She gets as spotted as a Dalmatian in an ink factory, doesn't she?"

"Yes, I've seen her in the sun and _no_, she doesn't freckle," Ash sighed. "Dawn, leave her alone."

"No! She's passed out like a crack addict so I'm going to take advantage of it," She shot back stubbornly, every ounce a rebellious teenager (no pun intended). The blue haired girl leaned closer, hand reaching towards Misty's cheek. "I think I do see a freckle! Maybe it's just a beauty mark."

Her finger touched the mark, and Misty's hand shot up fast as a flash to grip her wrist. Dawn gasped in surprise a moment, then calmed with training and tried to pull away. First, it was a light tug. Then, the tugs began to get harder and her other hand joined in the fight, attempting to wedge her fingers under Misty's and release her hand. But it didn't happen, and the frightened girl began to make frightened whimpers.

"Ash! She's hurting me!" Dawn cried, twisting this way and that. "Make her let go! Ash, it hurts! She's using her nails!"

He walked across the room, not too fast but not too slow. The whining tone she used told him she wasn't in too much pain, just a pinch, and there wasn't any need to be worried about it. When he did get over to her, Dawn settled, settling for whimpers and standing still, letting him pry Misty's fingers away. The blue eyed agent snatched her wrist away, rubbing at it tenderly and eyeing the broken skin with disdain. Ash took her hand back, looked at it for some sign of blood, and chuckled when he found the wrist clean of injury.

"She didn't even draw blood, you big baby," He teased. "You're fine. Drug addled or not, she's wicked fast, better be careful. I warned you. I knew she was fast and I warned you. Maybe next time you'll actually listen to me, what do you say?" Ash tweaked her nose when she wrinkled it with irritation, and she smacked his hand away.

"Don't. Can't believe she grabbed at me," Dawn murmured, then with narrowed eyes. "Let me get a good kick on her. I need revenge."

"Whoa there," Ash laughed, grabbing her shoulder. "You can't blame her for that. You would have done the same thing if you were sleeping and someone touched you."

"No," She said highly, straightening her back. "I'm a lady. I'd mace them in the face. Ladies don't hit. _Nice _girls don't hit or grab or scratch. That's what bitches do."

Ash was full out laughing now, doubled over. "You spent too much time in your high society class, Dawn. Misty's not exactly as privileged as you are. She fights like people are supposed to fight. I guess you'd say like a boy. She doesn't scratch, she punches. If she had been awake she probably would have slammed you in the head. If we managed to get her in the Rebellion…she'd make one helluva great warrior. I'd hate to see her full out on Team Rocket's side, especially if they took her off those pills."

Dawn humphed, a little insulted by the privileged comment. Not that she wasn't, Dawn sure was. She was one of the few families who had practically nothing lost by the war. Her mother had made millions through contests, her father had made billions doing something barely legal. The first nine years of her life were spent pampered, catered to by the hundreds of waiters her family employed. She was always clean, always fed the best of meals, always had her nails perfectly manicured and toes perfect if flip flop weather so happened to come around. Her hair was perfectly brushed and dyed and highlighted and all the important things a rich girl needed. And she _liked _all of this, loved it, and wished every moment would never end. Dawn Berlitz enjoyed being a spoiled rich girl with the ever attentive, loving, mildly crazy-with-money parents.

Unfortunately, Dawn decided to join the Rebellion at age ten and inform her parents that it was actually a reform school she could go to for free. She said she had met Drew Shuu Williams there (whom she had), one of the richest men in all the land. That tied him perfectly with her, and if such things were allowed at the time, she surely would have been betrothed to him by then. As they weren't, she convinced them she was attempting to woo the boy into marrying her and thus improving the Berlitz throne. Drew had played along, every once in a while holding her hand up to the door and telling her parents how lovely it was to be dating their daughter with a big, load of crap kind of smile.

There wasn't much wrong with Dawn. She wasn't the prettiest, strongest, or smartest, no. But that didn't change the fact that she was very pretty, very seducing, and very smart. She was a wonderful agent, a wonderful female kind of agent, but she got the jobs done. She just tended to be a pain in the ass to deal with every so often. Too many of her pokémon needed everstones to keep them from evolving (which, luckily, was something not too difficult to find since Team Rocket didn't have much need for such things) into ugly monsters when they should stay cute, lovable creatures. She was also spoiled, and liked her things fancy, but she was sweet. To boys. And girls like her.

She was not a fan of any girl who crossed her, and she was certainly not a fan of girls who did boyish things. She honestly couldn't understand girls like that, and perhaps that was part of the problem. She had been raised to be prim and proper and lovely in every way. She was raised to be what a proper girl should be. This was good in some cases and bad in others. Dawn had a slight god complex, making her believe that _her _way was right, and the things _she _liked were the only things people should like, and that _she _should be the center of attention (as an only child, she was confused when the spotlight was suddenly taken off her, perhaps the latter would not have been such a problem if her parents had give her siblings). So, sadly, Dawn Berlitz was spoiled and prejudiced. She was a wonderful person, a wonderful agent, but there was no way to get around it.

Ash liked the way she made Gary react (since she did not get along with the chauvinist pig) and he liked Dawn when she was in a good mood. He was also too friendly for his own good, and often got in Dawn's path hen she was in a bad mood, like now.

"Oh, shut up, Ketchum! I don't even see what you find so attractive about her! She's barely got the looks! From what I've heard from Kenny no one up here likes her, probably because she goes around attacking people for no good reason! I'll probably get some kind of mutant disease form this that'll turn my hair red. And there's another thing, Ash! Red hair! _Red hair_! Who the hell do you know who has red hair anymore? Not pink, but red." Her head lowered and blue eyes glared with an intense ferocity. "Do you know how recessive that is? Do you know how practically impossible it is to have _red hair _and _no freckles. _There's, like, five of them in the world, Ash, and I've never, _ever _seen a redhead without freckles. She was probably made in a mewdamned lab!"

The laughter stopped, and his expression softened, mildly offended. "Dawn, hey, you know I don't like that kind of talk. For all you know she could have been made in a lab. That would explain the reflexes. They'd probably try to make her a better fighter."

Dawn continued her rant still wild with rage. "No, Ash, she's trouble! She's trouble with a capital T and you know it! She's dangerous, and you're even considering letting her into the Rebellion! She attacked me in her sleep! She probably can smell I've got the scent of the Rebellion on me! She can probably smell out her enemies! I'll bet she's a damned Eggborn and that'd be just about right! I'm sure it has to do with having no money because she won't get off her ass and work for it!"

"So, my mom worked to jobs just to feed us and my dad went off to war. But we're still poor, Dawn," Ash said, voice filled with icy anger. "Does that mean we didn't get off our ass to work for it? Does that mean we're Eggborns? That's it, isn't it? You know, Dawn, I'm stronger than the average person too! So's Gary! We _must _be Eggborns, but Gary's not too poor, so maybe I'm wrong about that. His grandfather makes some megabucks. He sure got off his ass. Hey, I've even heard that Lily and Violet, the twins, you know them, well I heard they have some kind of psychic connection! Maybe they have psychic genes slammed right into their system!"

The boy stood up and walked close, and for the first time it hit her that he really _had _grown. His face was deathly close to hers as he continued to whisper, "And you know what, Dawn? I don't like the way you're acting right now. You're mad and screaming and wild. Maybe…maybe _you're _an Eggborn. After all, you slapped me earlier today. It stung. Maybe we shouldn't let you be in the Rebellion because you've got a temper too. But then we'd have to kick out Gary and Daisy and May and Brock and Tracey and Lily and Violet and my mother and Prof. Oak because I've seen them all mad! Sometimes for no reason! I've seen Brock mad at people for dragging him away from a pretty girl."

He laughed, and she began to look slightly worried, anger draining from her face. "But Misty, she doesn't have any kind of good reason for getting mad. Maybe it's the fact that I'm pushing through her defenses, because I want to know if she has it in her to be a Rebellion agent, if she's happy here or if she's happy with the illusion of here. Maybe it's because I keep yanking her off the pill, and though I'm not sure if it's physically or mentally addictive, I have a feeling waves and waves emotion crashing into you is pretty damn confusing. Or maybe it's the fact that at the beginning of my stay here, we were attacked and almost tasered in the hallway, and I found out that she actually had to live with that kind of thing ever since she was brought here, and she doesn't even have any record of her family."

"I'm sorry," She said, tilting her head down.

"No! Don't be sorry! You were right! So right! I'll have to call my mom up and tell her we're all disgusting, low down Eggborns. Right Dawn?"

She felt tears come to her eyes unbidden. Not the big, fake tears that rolled down her face when she needed to get into a club or out of a ticket, but the scared kind that she got whenever someone yelled  at her, because she wasn't used to that. "I didn't mean it like that, Ash. You know I don't…I don't hate Eggborns or poor people and I'm sure I'd like Misty if I got to know her but you know how I get and I'm so scared for Kenny and you were already mad at me earlier! We keep going up and down on the stupid emotion rollercoaster and Gary isn't even here for me to hate so I have to use Misty. I'm sorry." She sniffed. "I know you have a crush in her."

"I do not have a crush on Misty," Ash argued.

"Fine, you don't have a crush on Misty," Dawn cried, wiping at her eyes.

For a moment he stared. "How old are you turning, Dawn?"

"Fourteen in a few months, why?" She sniffled, turning her back to him.

"Fourteen," He mumbled. "Worried about a dead boyfriend at fourteen. What's the world coming too? Used to be at fourteen you were worrying about your next League."

He swung his arms around his arms around her, hugging her from behind in a friendly, non romantic way. "Well, now that you're calmer, what do you say we head off into town, pidgeot should be able to carry both of us, and we can get a huge helping of soft serve ice cream. I don't know the area around here too well, but people are generally nice enough to point out when you can get some good ice cream. Pizza too, if we're lucky."

The girl giggled. "Mmm, ice cream and pizza. Nothing like clogging your arteries, right Ash? You're the best when it comes to food."

Ash laughed with her and untangled one arm as they walked towards the door, pressing the little lightning bolt on Pikachu's pokeball. If it was operating as it should, Pikachu should have been able to feel the vibrating, buzzing piece of technology inserted in between her shoulder blades. She would be to him in no time at all, and he would wait for her by the entrance of the school while she weaved her way through the halls. Hopefully, she would have gathered some kind of helpful information to locate Kenny, or at least help him with the floor plan. Once the little rat showed up, Dawn and him could begin to discuss the real matter at hand: rescuing Kenny.

* * *

As night had begun to fall, Pikachu had bounded into the elevator and down to the basement floor again. On her way, she began washing herself, licking her paw and washing it around her fur. She didn't like the way she smelled at the moment, or the way she tasted. She had spent too much time above ground, looking at what classes did which and who did what and at which times. Now, she smelled like humans, hundreds of them, a smell overwhelming to her sensitive nose. It didn't help that most of these humans had also been running around, working up a nasty sweat and throwing up their hands in victory when they won.

The doors slid open and she bent her head forward, picking up the berries from the floor in front of her, and trotted out to the old Raichu. Her nose pressed through the bars, berry and all, and he took it with an appreciated smile. Jasmine laid down next to him, watching him gobble up the first before offering him the second. Not a drop of berry juice was wasted, Pikachu careful not to break it in her mouth and Raichu sure to lick any drops left off the floor of the cage and around his lips.

(_How are you doing?_) She asked him quietly.

(_Fine. The berries should help_,) He returned, cleaning himself now as she had done in the elevator. (_You'll be pleased to know that, while he hasn't stopped eating them entirely, Meowth's cut down _

_plenty on the rats. He's not as crazy as he was, and he's not nearly as aggressive. He's almost intelligent now._)

She chuckled. (_Well, one would hope. He may be your only chance of getting out of here. He's the only one who can run around here without raising suspicion. I sure can't. A nameless pokémon without a trainer isn't exactly inconspicuous.)_

(_You said you have a trainer, don't you?_)

She nodded. (_I have Ash. We're close friends, have been for a couple years now. I didn't like him at first but…I warmed up to him. He wants to help and he doesn't force me to do anything I don't want to. He thinks about me before himself. He learned a lot of it from you little Sammy. Prof. Oak was sort of a replacement for Ash's father. It's kind of funny, almost, that Prof. Oak has you and Ash has me. Almost like the next generation, don't you think?_)

(_History repeats itself,_) He agreed. (_Do you actually have a plan to get us out of here?_)

(_No, not yet, I have to talk to-_) The little mouse jumped and squealed, her back paw coming up to scratch at her shoulders for a moment before she calmed down. (_Dammit, I'm going to kill him. He knows it scares me when he does that._) She looked up at the confused Raichu and sighed, her shoulders still twitching. (_There's a chip that they inserted under my skin. It buzzes for a few minutes before it fades, but it scares the shit out of me._)

(_Sammy's idea, isn't it?_) Raichu asked with a slight air of pride.

She smiled and nodded. (_Do you know where Meowth's gone off to? I've got to take him with me to talk to Ash. He can help answer questions and help with the layout. Ash is known for asking way too many questions._)

The two chatted for a moment, discussing the possible whereabouts of the light colored cat. Raichu had mentioned that Aiden had come up and down quite a few times on the elevator, possibly looking for her upstairs. He had been talking to himself (and others, though the pokémon in the cages seemed much more intent on trying to kill him than listening to his jabber) about the enchanting mouse who had promised them all freedom. Meowth seemed to be infatuated with her, and she was all too happy about this. Raichu couldn't believe she was glad to have the crazy cat after her. She attempted to defend herself, saying she hadn't had a mate since she was first captured and she was sincerely sick of electric type males (which she covered up with a hasty 'no offense' to the elder).

It was no surprise when he ran out of nowhere and sat by her patiently, beaming like he had just won a gold medal. "Hello, Jazzy! I've only eaten one rat today! 'Side from dat, I'm pretty hungry. Ya promised ta bring me some real food, udder dan rats. I don't see any kinda pokechow, but I saw ya give him some berries. How come him? Ya like him betta den me, don'tchya? I shoulda known. I knew I shouldn'ta eaten dat rat."

(_I like you just fine, Meowth,_) She grinned, then frowned, (_but I've reminded you over and over not to call me Jazzy. I don't like it. Meowth, I also would like you to come upstairs with me. We'll meet up with my trainer, but, don't worry, he won't put you in a pokeball. He's probably going to ask you the same questions I have, about your human talk and this place and how we're supposed to get all the pokémon out of here. he may also have some other ideas that disagree with yours, so you'll have to try and control your temper and not attack him. I like you plenty, Meowth, but I'll always love Ash more. If you hurt him I'll have to hurt you to defend him. It's the way the pokémon trainer connection works. You understand that, don't you?_)

"I suppose I could," Meowth shrugged. "It's nodda problem. As long as dere aren't any pokeballs involved, dat's nodda problem. I'd do anyting for ya, Jazzy, as long as ya promise to keep me safe like ya always do."(_Of course I'll keep you safe.)_

"But you'll keep Ash safer," He giggled.

She laughed back. (_Yeah, I'll keep Ash safer. But you're really up for the challenge?_)

He shrugged, and for the first time he lapsed into poketalk, startling both Raichu and Pikachu. (_Why not, Jasmine? It's not like I've never been upstairs before. I used to be a normal pokémon before I came down here. I'd be glad to meet your trainer. I'm happy to share my knowledge as well. It's going to save the pokémon, save me, and it'll finally end this war once and for all. _Besides_! Do you know how great real food is going to taste after having all those rats? No more Fury Swipes, no more Scratch attacks to hunt. Just having someone deliver my food to my feet, that's been forever since I have that. And your trainer does that for you every day?_)

She gaped for a moment, finding herself at a complete loss for words. Then her vocal chords began to function and she blurted, (_You can speak pokémon talk?_)

He blinked. "Course I can. I just normally don't. Speaking human speak makes me feel special." The cat revealing all his sparkling white teeth in a smile.

_Poison probably kills the bacteria,_ She thought to herself. (_Not everyday, Meowth. Whenever I go off on my own I can scavenge for my own food. Pokémon will hunt for me too, if I ask._)

The old Raichu chuckled. (_You mean 'zap', don't you?_)

(_Zap, ask, same thing,_) She shrugged. (_Sometimes pokémon just don't follow the good rules their mothers taught them. You're supposed to be kind and courteous and help a pokémon in need. Well, with a few exceptions, but those are age old never ending battles that are based off of prejudice and predatory desires. There's nothing like that with Pikachus in mind. I should have gotten the help I needed and it was cruel of him to even suggest I hunt for my own food. I'm a lady and anything I kill will be completely charred because of my high voltage. There's nothing that tastes nastier than completely charred meat, let me tell you._)

The raichu continued to chuckle. (_Shouldn't you be heading off by now?_)

She glanced toward the elevator. (_So we should. Ash is probably going to get irritable if we keep him waiting too long. Do you need me to help you charge up the elevator? I've only been down here for a minute and I know how hard it must be for you to start it up again so fast._)

He assured her he'd be fine with a fatherly lick on her cheek and sent them off. Aiden chatted all the way into the elevator, and all the way through the halls, and during the time when they dodged the wild feet of students in the hall. He talked her ear off when Pikachu went to check on Misty (and where she had thought Ash was, but that theory failed) and he talked right up to the moment when they trotted out the door and ran face to face with Ash and Dawn. Meowth held back suddenly, hiding behind her and using his front paws to push her towards the humans when the they turned their interested eyes on him.

"Who's your friend, Pikachu?" Ash asked kindly, smiling at Meowth behind her.

(_He's might be my boyfriend._)

"Your boyfriend?" He repeated. Dawn giggled behind him, trying to hide it by turning her back to the little pokémon. "You didn't tell me you had a boyfriend. You made one pretty fast."

(_He's shy and crazy because he eats poison rats,_) She explained. (_Don't look him directly in the eye. He might snap and kill you._)

"Alright, so why are you dating a crazy murderer?"

(_I can change him,_) She informed, only slightly sarcastic. (_Why is Dawn here?_)

"Well," Ash said carefully, looking at the girl. "There's some new stuff going on, and it looks like we're going to be here for a while longer, a long while longer because, well, some issues have come up, like I said, and we're going to talk about them over pizza and ice cream in the city. We can feed your little friend too, if he wants." Ash knelt, grinning at the pokémon. "What do you say, buddy, do you want a slice?"

"Yeah! I'd love some!" Meowth replied enthusiastically, still hiding behind his girlfriend.

Ash gawked, and Pikachu beamed up at her master. (_He's smart too. They taught him to speak human, isn't that awesome? But what's the real problem?_)

"Someone's gone missing and Dawn-"

She cut him off, racing to Dawn and cuddling into her legs. (_Poor thing,_) She whispered as the blue haired teen picked her up and cuddled her close. (_It's Kenny._)

* * *

I apologize for the short chapter (and the ending feels rushed), but, honestly, the next section just wouldn't have fit. I don't want to overload you with talk of rescuing Kenny all in one chapter (it doesn't read right) and Misty's next part I'm hoping to have some kind of dramatic effect, and one can only handle so much drama in one chapter, ne?

To those who will want to reference any OOCness: they're going to be different. They're older. They're children of a _post war Rebellion_. They're the same character just with a difference in setting, see? If you see something _radically _different, however, that you don't think fits them or the new background, let me know so we can talk about it and I can try to fix it. :)

Alright, so the next one might be _severely _delayed, as I have about eight concrete oneshots I want to type up and post (Mostly due to the handymanshipping, egoshipping, and gymshipping challenges I've set for myself)


	8. Off

_**Off**_

"_Get under the table." The voice was soft, musical, attempting to hide the worry that lingered in the back. It was accompanied with soft hands on her shoulders, thumbs rubbing her back in a soothing way. Misty ached to turn to see the face, and she did so, but was met only with darkness. Someone had hit the lights a moment before and her eyes hadn't adjusted, though the room was getting lighter fast and a gentle outline was hovering above her. Hands, much smaller than her own, reached up to brush the smoothness of the cheeks. There was something in the air, something that felt wrong in the sweet voice that she gave a gentle hum of: "but can't I stay with you?" in hopes to calm the woman, but a finger was placed over her lips to quiet her._

_The woman's hand raised up to caress her cheek, and Misty leaned into it and held it with a happy sigh. "None of that. Hide under the table for me a little while, alright? It's not going to be long at all and I might not even leave the house! It'll only be a moment but you have to hide until I say you can come out and you have to be extra quiet. I'm going to come back and get you but you've got to hide first, sweetheart. Think of it as a big game of hide and seek!"_

_A gentle touch on her forehead that Misty leaned into, (a kiss, urged her mind) and the presence turned a bit rougher, pushing her under the table and its tablecloth and pulling away. But Misty didn't want her to go and she grabbed at the wrist, twisting her nails in tight and almost crying at the feel of warm blood on her hand, someone else's blood making her fingers slide and letting the tall figure slide away, making a hissing noise a clap that was sure to be a hand on the wounded wrist. She heard the sound of a faucet being harshly thrown up and the water poured down, quiet curse words under being muttered under the woman's breath._

_There were quick footsteps down the stairs, muffled by the carpet and louder once on the linoleum. "Mommy, it's dark down here. Are you trying to calm Misty down because you know that doesn't work unless you're holding her. She's going to freak out in a second, Mommy." The footsteps headed towards where Misty thought that "Mommy" person was, at the very least where the running water had been, and the voice continued again, this time a whisper: "Mommy! Mama! You're bleeding! You got scratched and I told you she scratched and bit and you didn't listen!"_

"_Violet, go upstairs with your sisters."_

"_But what about-"_

"_There's not enough room up there for her, alright? You know the law, she's not supposed to be here. There's never more than two and it took ages for it to be right when you and Lily came out at once. There's a lot of limits to what can and can't happen and its hard enough when we used to be…I don't have time to explain all this, honey. It's years of history compacted into just a few seconds and I can't. Hurry upstairs, Violet. Tell your sisters that there's only three of you."_

"_But there's four of us and Lily can't lie."_

"_Then keep your sister quiet. You're a big girl, Violet! I need you to be brave for Mommy."_

_Misty moved forward, poking her head out from under the table to look at the two of them. She couldn't tell the colors in the dark, something that irritated her to no end, but she could see that the second one was much shorter than the first. They were still arguing, though she couldn't force herself to focus on it. The tension rising in the room was making the hair on the back of her neck stand up, and her nails scratched against the linoleum, nervous and wishing she had something to hold. The voices stopped and turned to her, and she darted back under the table, heart racing and breath coming in furious gasps at being caught._

"_Misty!" The woman scolded, marching over and lifting the sheet quickly. "Stay hidden, baby. You can't-"_

_There were two loud knocks at the door. "Excuse me, Miss Yawa, we have a few questions for you."_

_The woman dropped the sheet and the scuffling began, lights flicked on and hurried whispers were made. "Violet, hide upstairs, remember, you're one of three, not four. You've never had a little sister, ever. Keep Lily quiet if she really can't lie. Good girl. Rocket's are scary but as long as they're here you have to promise me you'll pretend they're the best thing in the whole wide world. Remember how I told you to always go to Officer Jenny? You have to go to the Rockets this time. They're Officer Jenny."_

"_Ma'am," The voice was female. "We're requesting that you immediately open the door before we're forced to break it down. There's been rumor of an illegal forth child in your house. We've gotten a picture or two of a young redhead, probably three years old at most. She doesn't say much and every picture we've gotten of her shows her hidden in shadows or half hidden in the trees. There's only one woman in this town with red hair, Miss Yawa, and I'm sure you know who it is. You must have a mirror in that house."_

_Violet's footsteps raced upstairs and the door was pulled open. "I don't know what child you're talking about. Both my husband and I take the proper precautions, have had the proper operations, there's no possible way I could have had another child. The girl having red hair has to be a coincidence. The parents could have dyed the hair to blame it on me. You know we not a popular family in town after the incident with the twins and-"_

_There was a clicking noise, the sound of a gun being cocked, and the first woman took a deep breath in and out and in and out again. "Ma'am, I'm going to ask you to not argue with me. Please desist and let us search the house."_

_The voice was furious now. "This is my house, and if you think for one second that I'm going to let you in here to interrogate my children and possibly harm them you have another thing coming. You better fire that gun, missy, and prepare to pay the price for manslaughter because I'm not letting you anywhere near my children."_

"_Jacob, prepare the burial plot," The second woman said coolly, and there was a quiet slide of a bullet through a silencer and a heavy thud of a body on the floor. "The children are probably upstairs in their rooms pretending to sleep. The forth is probably hiding. I'll check downstairs and the basement, you search the rooms. Leave the girls. The father will take care of them. Which reminds me, don't kill the father. He's been infected with one of those strength builders anyway. He'll be dead in a month or two, so no need to finish that."_

"_And the girls? What then?"_

"_They can take care of themselves." There were pokeball sounds, expanding and releasing and the sound of high heels on the floor. "And if not, the whole family's dead and that helps the population problem, now doesn't it? Do you have a pokémon with Cute Charm? Kids come to them like they're stuffed with candy. Perfect to lure them out of hiding. If you don't, you ought to get one soon. We'll be doing a lot of kid finding as long as we're stationed here in Cerulean. It's just as bad in Pewter. Request one when you get the chance. Admit it, even you're, dare I say it, _charmed _by this cute little igglybuff. That's what it's made for, after all."_

"_Igglybuff!" The thing agreed._

_Misty curled up in a ball under the table, gulping and closing her eyes (though, her older mind rationalized that Team Rocket were good people, and it was crazy to hide from them just because some woman she didn't even know the face of told her to) while the footsteps began and the omen's corpse slid across the floor. Igglybuff's chirping could be heard through the thing defense of the tablecloth, a happy sound that gave to a Pied Piper feeling, a warm, cheerful sound that made her want to race forward so badly, wanted to wrap the thing in her arms and cry because she was scared _

_and whoever that women was made her feel warm and safe and good and all the other things she missed out on. But she couldn't. She had to hide. She had to hide until the woman told her she could come out, because she _wasn't _dead and she _would _come back._

_Time passed, time she knew was near half an hour but passed like a second. Her hand come up to her neck not long before, grasping a little necklace that hung around her neck. And she rocked. Back and forth, back and forth, eyes tightly shut and whimpering so quietly her own ears couldn't hear it as she did so. She wanted that women. She wanted that igglybuff. What she didn't want was what happened next, which was the clatter of a pokeball on the floor as footsteps came down the stairs, heavy and furious._

"_She's not anywhere, Lucy. Let's get out of here. We've got the wrong house. Dyeing kids' hair is common, especially an unusual color."_

"_If you're pissed you didn't have to storm down here. You made me drop my pokeball and now I can't find it." She grunted and Misty gulped when she heard the thud. The woman had dropped to her knees. "I bet you an hour of free time it's under the table. Stupid thing always rolls in the most inconvenient places. Who that hell made these stupid things round anyway?" And the sheet lifted to reveal a pretty young lady in the light, smiling a predatory smile that made her shiver. "Well, what do you know? We got her in plain sight! Under the damn table! Too obvious a place to look! Yawa, that smart bitch. Come 'ere, kiddo, we're not going to hurt you."_

_The dark purple hair and the light violet eyes were normal, but the woman felt _wrong_ somehow. Misty could tell from the way she smiled, the way she looked, the obvious radiance of hatred she had pouring off her in the masses. So when the gloved hand touched her skin, she twisted and bit into the rubber, thrashing her head and growling as she went. Her legs kicked and connected with something solid, something that made Lucy let out an 'oof' and fall away but for the arm still clenched in Misty's teeth. The redhead dropped it and slid back under the table, only to be snatched by a pair of rough arms that hung her upside down while she screamed and Lucy began to stand, nose pouring blood over her reddening features._

"_She kicked me in the face," She muttered nasally, touching the blood. "And she bit so hard she bruised through the gloves. I hate kids. They're ten times stronger than they look, especially with that adrenaline gets pumping. I had a kid who broke my old partner's jawbone with a punch. Little rat got away, but we've got this one. Judging by the fight in her, I saw we take her to the academy, trade her for some bonuses." Lucy lifted the girl close to her face and cocked her head to the side. "She's completely wild though, aren't you girlie? Mommy had to hide you because you were a forth and she couldn't give you any love. Do you even know how to talk, babe?"_

"_You killed her," She spat, quite literally spitting in the woman's face with disdain. "What'd you kill her for? She didn't do anything!"_

_Lucy backed up, wiping spit and blood and her face. "Speaks pretty well for a three year old. It's gonna freak out the brains at the academy. They'll do experiments and she'll be ruined for being smart. I know. I was smart and they tried to do that to me. Didn't let them. Won't let them get me on those new pills they've started either. Might try one, see if it really does help you focus, but I ain't getting hooked. Too bad this kid will. She's such a cutie, just like the ones upstairs."_

"_You're not supposed to see me," She growled, swiping at the woman to far away to hit. "I have to be under the table! She said I couldn't get out from the table until she gets back! She said! You're making me break the rules and you don't even know how much trouble I'm going to be in! You can't do this! She's going to be mad! Put me back! Put me back or I'll kill you." Her eyes narrowed in a way that left no room for doubt she could do it. "I know where the knives are. You take me and I'll stab you. I'll cut your heart out and eat it."_

"_Such strong words for such a little thing," Lucy chuckled, motioning for her partner to let Misty down. Lucy let her crawl under the table, still frantic. "What's your name there, kiddo? You've got a name, don't you? Yawa must have given you some kind of name, sentimental lunatic as she is. Sorry, as she was, may she rest in peace."_

"_My name's Misty," Misty said carefully. "You're Lucy. That's Jacob. The women you killed is Yawa and Violet is upstairs. Lily can't lie."_

_Lucy crossed her legs over one another as she sat, leaning towards Misty. "Huh? You got all that? Jacob, we're bringing her in, alright? We're saying she's five. Can't be more than four, but she's five to them. The father is going to be home from work late tonight, so we've got a bit of time. I just want to know what that pretty thing is around your neck."_

_The young Misty clutched it tightly. "Good luck charm. Yawa gave it to me."_

"_Did she now?" Lucy asked. "Well, I've got a secret for you. That Yawa lady's dead and she didn't want what was best for you. She thought you were ugly, and that's why she kept you hidden. I've seen necklaces like those before. They're to keep people from seeing what others really look like. When you wear that, you don't look ugly. You look just like everyone else. But the second you take it off…well, let's just say it's pretty scary. I know because all ugly people have red hair like that. Some pretty people too, but mostly ugly people. But ugly people make the best fighters. Fighters get lots of good things. Name me one thing you want and I bet fighters get it."_

_Misty let her eyes flick to the igglybuff, and Lucy laughed, "That? The igglybuff? You can have all those and more! You just have to say you want to come with me and I can take you away. It's like a never ending train of fun, and you can stay on for as long as you want. Come on, take my hand and get on the train with us. All you need is to say yes, and you've got yourself a ticket. If you say no, well," Lucy giggled again. "If you say no, we'll have to kill you, like we do with all the uglies. Do you want to be murdered, Misty?"_

_The girl went flat on her stomach, staring at Lucy. "You didn't say I was an ugly before. You said I was a forth. Before I make my decision, I have to know what a forth is. People lie all the time, and my daddy taught me to never trust anyone, because they're generally not after anything good. He said I'm special. He said I was different and people would want to take me away. I think that's got to do with being a forth, not with being an ugly."_

"_Alright, sweetie, you're apparently smarter than I gave you credit for, so here's how it's going to go. You have two options and only two. You can come with us, and I'll admit, it may not be a train of fun, but there's a short train on a long track that's speeding out of control and it's very rare that it makes stops for forths like you, so you better take a chance and hop on, or you could die. And, I'll tell you, sometimes that dying path seems a lot sweeter, because a hundred years to live is too long, and with the research they're doing it won't be long before everyone's living to two hundred or longer. Once you get on that train, it's two hundred years. The only way to get off is to jump, and you won't survive that fall. What it comes down to is you can die, or you can hitch a ride on the train track that never ends. Which do you feel like, chickie babe?" She took the end of her rambling to use her shirt to wipe off the still dripping blood._

_Misty hesitated, her fingers playing with the necklace on her wrists. It was taking a moment, mostly to sort out the metaphors and the big words she didn't understand. Her mind was working as best it could to sort things out, but she still couldn't figure out the train ride. She didn't see why she wouldn't be able to get off when it stopped for someone else. And, despite all this debate, the answer was quite simple. She was not going to die. Being on a train seemed to be a thousand times better than dying, and she was pretty sure she could kill the lady if she had to. The man, with his stony face and large muscles might be more difficult, but the woman, oh yes. Not to mention, that lady was dead, and so were the girls upstairs, whatever their names were. If not really dead, at least dead to her for not helping when she needed them most._

_Misty smiled and held out her hand, "What color's the train, Lucy?"_

"_Red, white and black," Lucy answered, grabbing the young girl's hand with a smile. "All the way off the mewdamned track."_

* * *

Misty let her eyes flutter open. "Red white and black off the mewdamned track. That stupid train is driving me insane. A million stops but I can't get off. Woman hit the floor and started with the metaphors. The train's a school under Team Rocket rule. No tomfoolery, I kept the jewelry. And, damn, I have to stop rhyming."

She held the necklace up in the light, a bit frustrated that the clock only seemed to have let an hour pass by. At least the memory had brought the necklace to mind. This pretty blue teardrop with a hole drilled through. It didn't seem made to be a necklace, no, certainly not. It seemed much more fitting as a button, a pin, maybe a badge of some kind. All she knew was it made her feel warm and safe when she touched it. Made her think of things she couldn't quite remember, not the places or the people or times, but she did know that whatever it was it had been safe and good. There were no ultimatums or trains, but she did recall laughter. She did recall playing hide and seek when guests came over, and never being allowed downstairs, because, she guessed, she was a forth. Which, in her later years, she discovered meant 'forth born in the same family'. In other words, a direct violation of the population law.

She curled up tight, fighting back tears. "I wanna get off the train. It's a stupid train and it's not going anywhere." A sob escaped and she covered her mouth to hide it. "She said I was special. I'm not special! This whole school doesn't even like me. I should have taken that other option when I had the chance. I should have stabbed them and ran. I shouldn't have been there. I shouldn't have come here. I shouldn't have done any of what I did. I shouldn't have gotten the pokémon from the center when I know it's illegal in the first place. I shouldn't house the six rejects because it's stupid to feel emotion and I shouldn't have to take these pills every two minutes!" She ripped a handful from her pocket, more furious when her hand was stuck, and scattered them across the floor, choking back more sobs and falling back onto the bed. "It's not fair that I have to take a bunch of them to be normal, and then start going back to the way it used to be. What changed?"

(_Maybe you changed_,) suggested a merry voice.

She let out another cry and wiped at her eyes. "You dumb duck. Get back in your pokeball. You're making me hear voices again. Besides, I'm tired and I need another pill and it's not like there's anything you can do to get me off the train. Don't make a train joke, it'll sound stupid. The train thing's already stupid enough." She hugged her pillow. "It's a metaphor for a three year old. I'm just not smart enough to think of another one."

(_There's talk of the Rebellion coming here. They could get you our too, if you tried. They could pull you and me and everyone out. I bet they could take Ash and Pikachu too, if you wanted._) Psyduck waddled to her sitting by her head. (_You can do a lot if you work at it. You can even beat Team Rocket at their own game if you really work at it. You won't be alone. Anytime you want to run off with the Rebellion, we'll come with you. All six of us. We think you're special even if they don't! They just don't know what their missing._)

"I can't do anything," She snapped.

(_Don't be like that,_) Psyduck scolded. (_Of course you can do things. Look at me! You didn't understand me for six years until you finally got it all clicked together. Not to mention how long it took you to help me clear up my mind._)

"Starmie did that," She protested weakly.

(_So you had help. Big deal. Lots of people need help, Misty, everyone does sometimes. The important thing is that without you none of us would be together or be able to do half of what we can do now! It's because of you. No one else wanted us, and you took us in. We would have all been dead if it wasn't for you. The best thing we could hope for was that it would be quick and we wouldn't be experimented on. You could have gotten yourself killed helping us, but you did anyway. Not a lot of people do that, Misty, and I've been alive long enough to know._)

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I've heard the story before. You're about four hundred years old. We all got it. Why don't you stop rubbing it in our faces what an old man you are and just share you wisdom like a good wise man is supposed to, hmm?"

Psyduck sat on her back and continued to quack, (_I don't have a lot of wisdom, I've just seen a lot. I've seen a lot of rejects and not one of them turned out as nice as you. There's something special about you. You listen, you understand, you're kind and considerate to others. Do you understand how rare that is to find in people nowadays? I've only seen it in one other person, and I've only just met him recently. Do you know who I'm talking about, Misty?_)

Of course she knew who it was, but that didn't mean she couldn't be sarcastic about it. Her head raised up from the pillow to glare at the wall, refusing got look at the golden creature hitching a ride on her back. "Gyarados? My second guess is Satoshi."

(_Ash Ketchum,_) He retorted, taking a snap at her ponytail in his rubbery beak.

She fought off a smile at the feeling, keeping her face in a frown, and carefully pulled the duck off her back, cradling him instead to her lap. She went to his feathers and began to preen them gently as he settled into her lap. She liked the feel of the invisible zippers tightening up against her fingers and she loved the insanely smooth feel he had when she ran her hand over his back. "Ash Ketchum, _Ashley _Ketchum, is a girl."

(_You like him,_) He shot back again, leaning into his master's touch.

"I don't like girls," was her debate. "You know how I feel about girls. They're catty and cruel and bitchy and all the things I'd hate in a companion. Ash is a lot like a girl in his bad qualities. He's argumentative and he gets offended too easily and…I just don't feel like he'd make a good partner for me. You'd be a horrible advisor if you suggested I teamed up with him. I haven't got any bad feelings exactly, not from him, but there is something else. There's almost a…not a warning, per se, but an alert kind of signal. It's not bad, it's not good, but there's _something _off about him. It could range from his personality to his age to his name, I can't tell, but something isn't him. If I could figure it out I'd feel a million times safer. I might even let myself be friend with him, unless it was something unforgivable."

Psyduck sighed, (_Like him being in the Rebellion?_)

"Why do you sound so exasperated?" She accused, turning the duck to face her. "You know, I'm beginning to think you really want me to join the Rebellion. We don't know a thing about them but what Team Rocket's told us and the rumors around the town. Honestly, you can't believe those stupid wives tales, can you? Have you heard what they're ranting about? A Pokémon Master, Psyduck! Something to start it over again! They talk as if some kind of messiah is going to appear from the fog and end the whole thing! As if someone's going to walk on in and just make everything right with a wave of a magic wand. It's not that simple, it never is! You know it's not and you're practically insisting that it's true, but it isn't true. Nothing's going to make anything better." She gulped. "If we want to make thing better, we have to do it ourselves."

Another flash of light and Starmie was out of its pokeball. (_She sounds like she is plotting again, Psyduck. You have screwed it all up, you silly creature. Now _I _have to fix it. I am getting quite tired of cleaning up your mistakes. You know well enough what kind of prophecies you're supposed to be helping along. You know the one: where the hero walks out of the fog and waves a magic wand to set everything right? If the hero doesn't have his heroine the legend will never be complete._)

She snorted, and cuddled Psyduck close. Psyduck was good to cuddle, but Starmie had the voice. With her psychic powers, she made a rich, motherly sounding voice that seemed to warm Misty to her core. The voice was a bit deep, but Misty liked that. It sounded bolder than a timid mother who hid behind the shades. It sounded like a mother who would fight, and if Starmie ever became a mother, that was the type of mom Misty had pictured her to be. "Very funny, Starmie," she rolled her eyes, squeezing Psyduck even closer.

To her surprise, the pokémon wriggled frantically to get out of her grasp, and she dropped him with a cringe. (_Those clothes smell like _sweat. _I could take it if you humans didn't wear those clothes that make your scent all weird, but if you want to cuddle put some clean ones on. Starmie agrees with me, don't you Starmie?_)

(_I rely on sonic and psychic waves to maneuver. I don't have any idea what 'smell' is, nor do I have any idea of this 'sight' that you insist on mentioning every few seconds. All I know is that if it bothers you so, it will probably bother humans as well. Psyduck's sense of smell isn't that good. He doesn't even know where you've hidden the pokeblocks._) Starmie chuckled at that, and the duck went into a frenzy of defending himself from her teasing words.

Misty, meanwhile, only continued her search for clothes. She couldn't find any anywhere, not clean ones. She had adopted Ash's strategy of organizing (probably her biggest mistake to start with) which would be "Top Drawer: Clean, Bottom Drawer: Dirty". This was working well enough for her, though Ash seemed to have some problems when he began screaming in the morning about mixing up the top and the bottom drawers, sending Pikachu rolling on the floor with laughter and even getting a small smile (which Ash didn't see) from her. For now, her only problem was leaving her pokémon alone while she went to the laundry room.

"Can you two behave or get in your pokeballs? I'll have you lock up behind me, Starmie, but people can still get in," She grabbed a armful of uniforms and hoisted them to her chest, hoping there was underwear hidden somewhere in the mess.

(_Why? Where are you going?_) Starmie inquired, walking towards her on purple spikes.

"To the washing machines. I'll only be a minute so you don't have to panic. I'm just rinsing and drying and coming back up, fully clothed and everything. Ash isn't here right now, so you have to be careful for when he comes back. He got a key We've barely graced the whole Corsola topic as it is. I don't need anymore questions right now. We can talk all about being friends with Ash and boost my morale later. Alright? Starmie, get the door for me?"

The pokémon did so, striding after her purposefully. (_I could go with you, if you'd like._)

She smiled. "No need to worry, what's the worst that could happen? And don't say I've jinxed it now, because that's ridiculous. I've been down to the laundry room before. What's sparked the sudden interest in my safety?" An underwear fell to the floor, relieving her in a way, and she began a valiant effort to pick it up, twisting this way and that to snatch it up from the floor, blushing when the psychic type raised it form the floor and dropped it onto the top of her pile. "What? I drop my underwear and _that _means I can't take care of myself?"

(_No,_) Starmie said carefully. (_I've just got a bad feeling about all this. Look how everything is happening! Ash has appeared, things are getting unsettled, he found your pokémon, and you're…you're finally cheerful, Misty. It's not that I don't like you being cheerful or I find anything wrong with it. In fact, I'm overjoyed that you are so delighted. I'm just…I'm nervous about all of this. Things are changing and I feel like something…something really, really large is about to happen. Don't you feel the growing tension? You have to! It's so thick you could cut it with a knife and I've seen _humans _getting jumpy._)

"Maybe there's a big storm coming," Misty argued. "Close the door behind me, Starmie. I'll be back in a few and I'll _try _to act more depressed from now on."

She kicked the door closed and started down the hallway, swearing she heard Starmie mutter (_Stubborn) _under her breath. But the door closed and the laundry room was just a few short steps down the hallway. She walked swiftly, kicking the door open and thanking Mew one of the washing machines were open, then cursing her luck it was a top one and she had to bounce up and down to get all of her laundry in. There was a row of six of them, chrome with circle glass windows, and a small blue button on the left of the door. On the other side of the room was a sink and a huge hole in the wall for clothes too dirty to be cleaned, leaning down to a furnace that she had been told reached up to one thousand six hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Once it was all gathered (including, much to her surprise, a single white sock that she tossed in just because) inside the washer, she slammed the glass door and pressed a button, watching the machine swirl the clothes with water and soap and ease out the sweat and stains.

Her hand drifted to the necklace once more, and she pulled it off over her head, looking at it suspiciously. What was it that it had caught the woman's attention so? She had taken it off all the time, and she definitely didn't look different with the necklace on or off. It didn't look out of the ordinary. It didn't smell strange. She had bitten it before, and only gained a disgusting metal taste in her mouth that made her scramble for the toothpaste. It did feel nice though, soft and smooth in her hand. It was cold, but not horribly so, and when her fingers danced along it, it gave her the sense of being the kind of safe that only being underwater could duplicate. She wrapped the cord around her wrist, once, twice, and clutching it tight in her hand as she began to wander, for there was nothing else to do.

And as she wandered, she wondered. She wondered about many things involving Ash and Team Rocket and the pills she stored in her pocket. And she was feeling a little bit scared, because she wasn't so sure she liked all these deep thoughts. After years and years of doing nothing, paying attention to only the most interesting science and reading classes, now thoughts were spinning that she had spent her whole life subduing. She _knew _they were wrong, at least, Team Rocket knew they were wrong, but she had thought that she was a good member, following blindly without objections because trusting the leaders was the only possible way for a correct society to function. She had always been tempted to think them, of course, it was human to be tempted, but she never expected her to be so weak as to lean towards that temptation.

She cursed herself for abandoning logic.

"Well, well, well." The voice was male, deep, and the heavy sound of footsteps was all too familiar to her ears. "If t'isn't Miss Misty. Yup, Miss Misty. Little bitch. That Pikachu isn't here right now, is it? Nope. No, I don't think so!" He laughed, and she heard the footsteps stumble. "Your boyfriend isn't here either. No one's here to help Miss Misty! No one at all! Poor Miss Misty! _Poooooor_ Miss Misty is in deep shit. Not that you care. You never care. Didn't start fighting until he came and I'm going to make sure you never fight again." His voice was quiet, then screaming at the next words, "Look at me! Why don't you turn around, you whore? I've got something to share with you! It's time to learn about some shit that I bet your little boyfriend hasn't shown you. I can show more than he'll ever know. I'll make you scream."

Misty slowly turned, eyes flicking around the messy room before lining up with Butch. He wasn't dressed in his uniform, but in white boxers and socks. His eyes were fogged with alcohol and he was clutching at the wall as if he was going to fall off the planet. He was glaring at her, knees slightly giving out. Fear overrode any kind of hormone, despite the boy's muscular appearance and the almost lustful eyes he was staring at her with.

"Butch, this is completely against Team Rocket protocol. Put on a uniform and get some bed rest. I can't imagine how you even got drunk. There's nothing in the school and you're certainly not allowed off school premises," She scoffed, the hesitated. "You went off school premises, didn't you? You went into town to drink. Who could've possibly gone with you! You don't even have your license or a car! Cassidy does but I don't think she's the kind to break the rules. Cassidy seems to…" She watched him even closer, noticing the flinch at his partner's name. "Did something happen to Cassidy?"

"No!" He cried, looking away. "She just happened to me!"

"What are you talking about Butch?" Misty asked carefully.

He ran at her, crushing her against the washing machines and breathing alcohol scented breath in her mouth. "We're over, that's what she said. She said to never come back and we're not together and it's over. It's _over!_ But, I don't need her. You know what? Fuck that. You're cute enough. That's why we broke up. She saw me looking at you. Couldn't help it. You looked like a good one with your shorts and those hot legs. No wonder your little boyfriend wanted me to back down." His drug addled eyes stared. "I've always had a thing for redheads. Never saw one besides you, but I think that color is sexy as hell."

And his lips crushed onto hers, rough and not feeling of anything but bright pain where their noses smashed together and his teeth seemed to pinch her lips against her own canines. But he was drunk, and not thinking, her hands were left free to raise a fist and clout him in the head, sending him spiraling back to the cement floor, where his head hit again. He was sprawled there, moaning loudly and rolling his head along the floor, trying his best to sit up.

She skirted away, jumping up on the washers and scrabbling her feet along the metal. Situated on top, she glared down, watching him stand and glare up at her. She glared back, hissing, "Butch, this is completely against school codes! The school's already mandated that when you're ready to you'll marry Cassidy. You can't go around doing anything like this. What happens if the school finds out? You'll be suspended for good! Just go back to your room. Butch." She leaned towards the drunk boy and tried to be softer. "If you go to your room now, I swear, I won't tell anyone. Just go back, please. I don't want to hurt you."

"Hurt me?" He snickered. "You're not going to hurt me! Wanna know what I'm going to do to you?"

He lumbered towards her, grinning with macabre joy, and she pushed herself away along the chrome machines, feeling her chest tighten with fear. "Butch, stay away. I don't want to hurt you. Don't underestimate me." She gulped. "I can."

"Never fought back before," He snorted, stumbling forward. "You're not gonna fight back now. Get over here." He was a few inches away from her, right in front of her dryer and grabbing her knee with drunk hands, nails scratching her skin and trying to get a good grip, trying to pull her forward and into his waiting arms. "I'm going to fuck your head off like your little boyfriend never did. Let's see what Cassidy does then."

Misty growled, one hand dashing forward to grab his head, drawing it towards her, and the other went for the glass door. Still hands grabbed it, and slammed it onto his head. Again, and again, he began to scream, but she slammed it again. That was when the screaming stopped. His knees gave out, and his weight almost dragged her down, but she slammed his head a fourth time before letting him fall to the floor, breathing heavy and laying down on the washers. Her eyes flicked to him, still on the floor, chest still rising and falling. She hadn't heard anything crack; she didn't see any blood. At the very best, he was just unconscious. She was certainly alright with that. She was thoroughly fed up with him, and was almost happy to finally be able to hit him. But she did not want to go any farther. She wanted to go, but she needed her clothes, so she waited.

Amazingly durable, his eyes opened and he moaned. "Little whore. I'm going to kill you. I'm going to fucking kill you."

She couldn't bring herself to glare or shout and snarl, but she could feel the tears building up at what she was about to do. She could feel the anger, not at him, but an almost self hatred bubbling up and she stood and bended in half so as not to hit the ceiling. She took in one, shaky, slow breath and whispered, "You have one chance, to crawl out of here and go back to your room. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Butch: I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to. You broke Team Rocket rules, and I uphold those. I may not hold much else dear but I uphold those codes. If the law says I can, I will defend myself."

He let his lip raise in a snarl. "I'll kill you."

So she jumped, quick and cool, she slammed her feet down to the sickening crunch. His eyes were wide, glassing over fast and she urged herself to look away, instead staring down at her feet and feeling worse because of it. Blood was pooling over her bare feet, making her gasp and clutch a hand over her mouth. She stepped off of his chest, stumbling back towards the wall, towards the white sink the corner and turning on the water. It came out brown at first, and she didn't dare touch it until it came out clear. Once it did, she stood on one foot, balancing well enough to wash off her right foot, then her left, before turning it off.

She walked over to the body, wondering what the hell to do, when it hit her: The furnace. She wasn't sure how hot it needed to be, but she was certain the fire below the school was hot enough. She only had to hope that the hole was large enough. She grabbed the body (silently wishing that he would stop bleeding so she wouldn't have to clean it up) and lifted it to the open, dark grey metal door. It was two feet by two feet long, and the body fit just fine, sliding down the shaft with a sound that sort of reminded her of tossing her shoes down a few years prior.

Settling into the memory, pushing away the shock, she began taking a sponge from the sink, wetting it a bit, and soaking up the blood. Bit by bit, she squeezed it into the sink and rinsed it off, calmly going about her business until the floor was as clean as clean could be. The sink was rinsed, sparkling white once more, possibly cleaner than when she started, and she scrubbed her hands in the sink until the felt clean.

Then she walked around the room, stalking like a tiger with its prey, though she had long since finished hers, and checked for anything she might have missed: some speck of blood, a bit of hair, or even dents on the washing machine. Nothing of the sort could be found, though her heart did pump at the thought of leaving some kind of DNA behind. But she could get lucky, she could, at least, that's what she hoped as she took the heavy cleaning supplies to every washer but the ones her clothes were in. Odds were, not all of her DNA would be washed away, but most of it would be. She could only hope that plenty of people would be washing their clothes that night, showering the floor with skin cells and hair follicles and all other kinds of things. If she was really lucky, maybe someone would cut themselves and spill their own blood on the floor, pinning them as the murderer.

She gulped as the thought crossed her mind. She was a murderer. It was official. She had played in simulators where she killed imaginary people, shot them at all sorts of angles to relieve stress and tension. But she'd barely ever hit a person, not that she could remember. There was a sort of guilt about it, but after the videos, after the stories, she was slightly desensitized to it all. Though the feeling of blood was sure to linger on her feet, on her hands for a long time, she didn't feel like it would all be too bad. It was her training to be a Rocket member, in a way, and it was lawful and in self defense.

Then, it all took a bitter edge to it. She glared at the furnace furious. Why? Well, _he _got off the train. Pushed off, yes, he may have been, but at least he was _off._ He was done with this horrible place. He was off to heaven or hell or whatever may have been beyond, but it was probably better than here. Dying had to be better than that horrible place. So she slammed her fist into the furnace, snarling and giving a scream before turning away.

The laundry bell dinged, apparently done with its load. And she walked up, leaning her head on the machine. It was the train whistle, letting her know the sorry news, making her feel bad because she had missed her stop, her chance to get off the hellish train.

Someone else had gotten off.

* * *

A special thank you to ICFA, whose website provided me with the information on how hot and how long is needed to cremate a human body, which leaves me to wonder why this information is available to the public. Perhaps so I know how to hide the evidence when I commit a murder?

Aside from that, I just wanted to know if anyone looks at the "Chapter # started/half done/three fourths done" thing I've got in my profile. Because if that isn't useful, I won't bother with it.


	9. Shock

_**Shock**_

It had been a very nice night, he decided. Dawn seemed to enjoy herself just as much as he had, diving into the Caesar salad and pepperoni pizza with vigor. Everything had been steaming hot and fresh, making her eat more than she usually did. Ash packed away plenty as well, fed up with food cubes and missing the taste of real meals. He had piled up parmesan cheese and salt and all sorts of toppings that probably shouldn't have gone into pizza. The Caesar salad had a hint of lemon, and was packed into a huge bowl that had even made Dawn, who was used to his madly huge portions, double take. The waitress had positively been scared about of her mind, causing the guilty boy to leave on over generous tip. This meant there wasn't any money for the fancy French cake the female teen had wanted to buy. Instead, that had to opt for a delicious bowl of Italian dessert.

Ash loved gelato a lot more than ice cream. The smaller portions were a small sacrifice for the richer flavor. With all the different chefs in the Rebellion, all the different places he had been taken, he knew what made good food. He knew that some of the best places could be found in some hole in the wall, rinky dink places. The people inside were generally locals, and this late at night the majority had either come from a club, girls wearing short skirts and tight top, men in half open white shirts and baggy jeans, or had stumbled out of bed in the middle of the night with PJ's on. One person had the decency to slip a pair of jean shorts under an overgrown t-shirt, though it was obvious from the disheveled appearance that she had just had a wild night. Ash let Dawn order, because the disheveled girl was the one behind the counter, and he couldn't talk to her without noticing that she didn't have a bra on as she leaned against the glass counter.

"Why yuh look away, ah?" She asked in a heavy accent. He couldn't tell where she was from, with a light medium skin tone, brown hair and eyes, and her accent was too strong to get any kind of idea of location, ethnicity, but wherever it was, certainly not near here. "Yuh don't like what you see? My boyfriend do, yah. Dat's why I look like dis. He find it sexy. Shame yuh don't, yuh cute, but yuh got yuh girlfriend with you. Sexy pretty thing. I could be like dat. I am like dat." She popped her chest out a bit and tapped his shoulder, getting him to look at her, right in the eye. 'Yuh like what yuh see, yah? Get yuh gelato free for a kiss."

He flushed, Dawn giggling at his embarrassment. "She's not my girlfriend, ma'am. And I'll pay for my gelato if that's alright, the old fashioned way. With cash. How much is it?"

The girl pouted, leaning forward more and seeming to urge him to look down. "Come on, a little kiss and you can get it all for free. It gets me in the mood for when my boyfriend come over, yuh? So, yuh, yuh, come here. We get it over with and yuh got some gelato." It figured, she had an almost Italian accent when she spoke the word, the only one she was able to pronounce perfectly. Too typical, when he could barely understand anything else she was saying.

"No thanks," He shook his head, turning away again. "I'm not that type of guy. So, that's one chocolate, one strawberry. The chocolate's a large and the strawberry's a small. Uh, well, not the most original flavors but they're good enough and I've got the ten dollars in my pocket. You can keep the change." Ash cast a glance at Dawn and glared. "Stop laughing, it isn't funny."

"Yuh it is," Dawn retorted, doing her best to imitate the girl's accent. "I tell yuh whut, I give you money for the gelato if yuh give her a kiss, right? It has to be on the lips though, yuh yuh. Yuh have to do, do it right and then…then we only hauv to pay hauv, and you cun finally get your first kiss!" Her accent dissolved into giggles as he flushed at her suggestion, and she leaned against the glass of the ice cream case to keep her balance whilst laughing.

Ash couldn't help but wish there was a line behind him, someone who would tell the woman to hurry up and just let him pay so they could get their gelato. But it was an empty hole in the wall, bound to have great food but doomed to never be overcrowded. There was no one to help him as the girl slowly licked her finger in what she knew would be a gesture to get his blood pumping. It did, a bit, but something still felt a little off. It wasn't off enough to keep his mouth from dropping open, his eyes from bulging out of his head or to keep off any kind of naughty thoughts, but it did create a feeling of sin and guilt. Frankly, he did not want to kiss her, but throw her on the counter and have her right there. It was only his respect for himself and others (not to mention the public eye) that kept him from doing so.

The sexy girl plopped the gelato on the counter and leaned forward, grabbing his chin and pulling his lips over his. He couldn't move, eyes closing without his consent as the girl moved her lips against his, prying apart his lips and shoving her tongue down his throat in front of the entire store. It wasn't until she pulled away a second later that he realized he had been kissing back, leaning into the hot kiss and pushing his tongue right back at hers. Her eyes were closed and she sighed, giving a quiet moan before she opened them back up and pushed the gelatos towards their respective consumers, smiling dreamily at the dark haired boy.

"Not half, no cash, no money needed. Yuh better than I thought," She told him with a laugh. Her fingers danced across tingling lips and her mind was still wrapped around the moment. "Whoever gets yuh lucky girl, vury lucky. She must lick her lips for a taste of yuh, I know I would. I love my boyfriend, but if I wuhs single…ah, yuh would not get away tonight, no no. I would take you home. I would do tings to yuh that would make yuh great-great-grandkids embarrassed. But yuh would like them, and I would too. Yuh, yuh, if only I wuhs single…too bad."

Dawn tweaked his nose and spread apart her first two fingers, tapping his two cheeks at the same time. "Red as roses from kissing that pretty girl. It's a lot better one a real girl than a blow up doll, huh Ashy-boy?"

"There's no blow up doll!" He defended loudly, gathering stares from the few people in the shop. They did nothing more but smirk and raise eyebrows, and he assured them: "There's no blow up doll" before snatching up his gelato and stomping off to a table, Pikachu, Meowth and Dawn following him outside to sit at a small table in the brisk night air, the cold metal not bothering Ash through his jeans but making patterns on Dawn's legs thanks to the too short skirt.

"Ash," Dawn whined, rubbing her shoulders. "I'm cold. Can't we go inside?"

"We're talking about the Rebellion. It might catch people's attention, Dawn. It isn't safe. You can wear my jacket if you're really that cold, though I have a feeling you just want to embarrass me in front of all those people some more and that girl behind the counter. I'm not going to let you. I say, let it go or wear my jacket and risk looking like my girlfriend." He scooped up gelato into his mouth, savoring the taste before continuing his talk. "I don't think you want to look like my girlfriend. Every time someone says it you make that face."

Dawn's face scrunched up tight at the notion and she shook her head. "I'm not cold enough to look like you're girlfriend. My butt's going to have to freeze off before that. But I really do want to go inside. Can we if I promise to use all the stupid code words we had to memorize and I promise not to make the people inside laugh at you? You know me; it's warm where I was. I hate the cold. You can't wear skirts without freezing when it's cold."

"Dawn, we've got a talking Meowth," Ash pointed out. "It's bad enough it insists on walking on its hind two legs. Not that that's too bad, since we're so close to Team Rocket people won't mind an oddly colored pokémon or a few disfigurations, but talking…Dawn, people have been trying to translate pokespeak for years. The fact that only some of these creatures can use some kind of speech is the biggest problem. The sheer luck of finding one capable of speech, then teaching it to talk all verbally and taking out the body language, taking on inflections, learning sarcasm and all kinds of things. It's impossible and it's always going to be shocking to hear…"

"Who's da Kenny kid yous guys are talkin' about?" Meowth asked, curling his paws up on the table and setting his chin on the metal. His feet swung freely, having hoisted himself off the ground, and his tail twitched with excitement. (_Jazzy, is the kid actually a pokémon, like us? I know lots of pokémon. I could have found him if you told me what to look for.)_

The mouse scampered up to Ash's shoulder, cuddling into his neck and watching the cat swing. (_Not a pokémon, a human. He's been caught, and they're very worried. Kenny was Dawn's mate and she's terrified now that he's gone. They might do experiments on him, like they do on humans. They might just kill him. That's very scary, especially when it's someone you love. Ash wasn't as close to Kenny, but he's just as worried. Humans tend to have a lot more empathy than us pokémon. It comes from the heavy pack instinct. Ours isn't as strong, because even though we live together, we're basically solitary creatures as hunters and gatherers. Do you see?)_

"I don't like science, Jazzy," Meowth chirped. "Don't try an' explain it to me. But I know names, and _you_ are Ash and _you_ are Dawn and you're looking for Kenny. So, I can help ya if ya want but I don't know how much I can do. I'll help, though, I like to help. I especially like to help Jazzy. She's real nice, Ashy-boy, you're lucky to have a pokémon like that. He is lucky to have a pokémon like you, don't you think, Jazzy?"

Ash smirked, craning his head to look at the pokémon on his shoulder. "Jazzy?"

(_Gelato,_) Pikachu insisted, dropping her mouth wide for the chocolate to be inserted. It was, only a tiny scoop, and she licked it clean before she responded. (_Meowth, he's very lucky to have me. We understand if you can't help. All that matters to us is that you try. That shows that you put in effort. We like you to try, Aiden. Speaking of liking, I would like some more gelato, Ash. You find the best places to eat. Pesto pizza and gelato, what could be better?_)

"More gelato for the chubby mouse," Ash chuckled, taking a small piece from Dawn's and ignoring her screams of germs and contamination and mono to feed his monster. "She's right, Meowth. You just have to help us as best you can. If you can't help, we were not counting on having you show up in the first place, we didn't know you existed. You're a happy bonus! The good news is, since you've lived in that school for so long, you probably know all the twists and turns, not to mention I bet Team Rocket taught you a bunch of stuff. Did they teach you how to draw a map for them, Meowth?"

He nodded eagerly. "Yeah, that's one of da furst tings dey taught me! Dey said dat's one of da biggest reasons dey made me, because I could sneak inta places and I could make maps. Lemme guess, ya want me to draw a map of the school for ya? I tend to make dem perfect, with all the training dey did, so it might take a while to draw all da floors. Ya wouldn't happen ta have a pencil or a pen on ya, would ya? I prefer both, so I can erase da mistakes and make the good stuff permanent."

Ash nodded. "It's all in my backpack, Meowth, but you don't need to draw all the floors. I've got everything but the underground from my research and Pikachu's. If you could draw that for me I'd be good." The boy took the bag off his back, Pikachu scampering around to keep her balance while he did and Meowth scampered up onto the table. A few moments later and a series of mapmaking tools had been laid out, along with a long rectangle packet of paper on which every other floor had been sketched in with crude labels.

"You share a room with Misty and she didn't notice all of this?" Dawn gaped, reaching her hand out to smooth the paper. "This is actual _paper_, Ash. I mean, you're handwriting on _paper._ It's not biopay, it's actual paper! Made from trees! I haven't seen this ever! It feels so weird…not like the clay kind of stuff biopapy's made of. You can't even squish it and re-flatten it, can you? You can just use it once then toss it out. That's so freaky!"

"For you," He shot back. "I think biopay is freaky."

"Yeah, but you were born and raised in the Rebellion. You didn't get biopay. You made paper. Which, by the way, is kind of weird. Why wouldn't you just buy biopay? Anyway, since you weren't rich you didn't get a lot of stuff I did, blah blah blah, old fashioned video games versus the newer, cooler stuff. I'm telling you Ash, this obsession with the retro is cramping your style. No one cares about the prewar days anymore. The fashion's in the future. Except in that gelato place. And this whole town. But you're a retro geek so you attract other retro geeks. You should stop wearing jeans. They aren't biodegradable."

"Nope," Ash shrugged. "They aren't. That's why, like a normal person, instead of squishing my clothes into a ball of clay I just hand them down to people who fit into them. It's called a hand-me-down. And when all else fails, you give it to someone who likes to sew, they chop up the pants and turn it into a purse. Once that's done, you throw it out, it rots, makes trees, and we start the cycle all over again. You shouldn't be able to remake pants. Don't they fall out of shape?"

"They fit to you like you're in a wet suit or something, it's made out of the same stuff as biopay," She shrugged. "People can write on you if they've got the right color pencil, but it makes it hard to rip or tear. It stretches, it fits all sizes. It's too perfect. Besides, if I get bored I can completely change the shape of my pants in seconds, I just have to put it in cold water and it's completely moldable. Put it in hot water and it's washable."

"That's freaky," Ash shook his head, watching Meowth draw the map. "If you know what they keep in the chambers, Meowth, would you mind-"

"I'm already labeling," The cat chuckled, using a compass to draw a generator. "I glanced at your other maps, and I noticed ya like to label. I figured ya'd want to keep it consistent. I copied your handwritin' too, in case you wanted to take credit for what I did. I don't mind if ya do, especially after dat great pizza ya bought me. I haven't had good food in forever. Just rats and poison and the occasional pokémon if it dies too early."

"That reminds me, I'm sorry Meowth, I didn't get you any gelato," Ash sighed. "I can go in and-"

"No need," Dawn squeaked, pushing her cup forward and holding a hand over her mouth. "He got to me when he said he ate rats. Gelato's fattening anyway, he can have it. I already ate pizza when I know I should have just had a salad. I feel fat now. When we get Kenny out of his prison he's not going to want anything to do with me because I'll be so fat. I'll look like a whale. A pregnant whale. No, a wailord."

"If you look pregnant, he might drop down to one knee and propose to you on the spot," Ash suggested, taking a huge spoonful of chocolate for himself. "You know, I should have asked how big this thing was. The jump from medium to large has got to be at least one hundred and thirty six percent. It goes into decimals, but I don't have time to round all that now. Too much work. I just want to share my gelato and wonder why getting so much more only costs an extra quarter. I think it's a scam. Damn commercialism."

"Damn math skills is more like it," She shot back. "I wish you couldn't do that stuff without a calculator. It's annoying. The only thing that good for is when I take you shopping and you can add on the taxes so I know how much I can buy without going over. You were only off by a penny that one time, and I'm sure her nose will fix up just fine." Dawn giggled. "I still can't believe Lily got a hot enough temper to punch a lady in the face. I'm telling you, all three of those Yawa girls have a crazy streak in them."

"Mmm," Ash agreed. "Maybe it's because of all the stuff that went down with their mother and sister. Killing them both most have sucked. We might have lost the whole redhead gene pool with that, would that suck? That last of the redheads destroyed by Team Rocket. It's kind of sad, because I like all the different colors of hair and skin. I guess it doesn't matter though, Misty was saying that we'd all be one race in just a few generations, or we would be if it wasn't for Team Rocket. Since races tend to mix, we'd all just blur, like when you put all the paints in the set in the middle and you mix them to make that ugly grey-black color."

"We're all going to be that color?"

"I dunno, I'm no good at science," Ash shrugged, polishing off the spoonful and beginning to scrape the paper container for more. He was disappointed to discover that there was barely even liquid left and the gelato itself had been wiped out.

Meowth smiled up at him. "I'm not good at science either, don't feel bad. I'm just good at drawing maps, best in my class. I tink it might have been unfair, though. Out of everyone in dat class I was da only one who could ask questions. If someone didn't know, well, I guess dey just got kicked out. I don't really want ta know what happened to them when dey got kicked out, but I'm bettin' ya it wasn't pretty, not at all, not at all."

"So we turn the subject to Kenny," Ash sighed, straightening in his chair. "Did you get any kind of signal from her before or after he went? Did he write down that he got captured, sent back a pokémon, anything at all?" The girl shook her head and he sighed once more, putting his head in his hands and watching Meowth draw up the map. "I just…I've got no idea where to start. He might not even be kept inside the school. I mean, there are suspicions that the Rocket base might, _might _be kept there but it's a bad theory and I don't see why they would keep prisoners there. Not unless they brainwash the kids and release them back into the school."

"Stairs?" Dawn asked, ignoring the black haired boy. She stood to get a better angle, glaring down at the map Meowth was putting the finishing touches on. "Stairs in the underground floor? You're telling me there's two floors to the underground level? You guys told us what's on the first floor but why didn't you tell us what's on the other? Is that where they keep the people? That's where they're keeping Kenny isn't it?"

"Chill, girlie!" Meowth shouted, shielding his precious map. "Man! Yer sound waves are gonna make the pencil draw squiggly lines! Ya can't have a map with squiggly lines! You'll be walkin' around in circles forever! And we've got no idea what's down doze stairs! We can't go! Look at da map!" He began to point wildly with a paw. "Alright, here we go. _Dat_, my friend, is the experimental area. Dat's where I learned to draw maps like dese. If I took yer Pikachu back dere she just might get herself caught and killed! We could do it, but it's risky. Da best way to go about it would be to find a way ta disguise her as a different pokémon."

"Meowth! Shut up!" Ash demanded, laughing nervously as he clapped a hand over the cat's mouth. "Listen, Meowth, last time I check you were a pokémon, alright? You're a pokémon. I know it's not ingrained in your mind since you were eating poisoned rats, but that's what you are. You aren't human, and you can't talk. At least, you _shouldn't _talk and if you do we're going to get some stares and, hey, Team Rocket might take you back to their base and perform harmful experiments on you. Dawn's a little worried over Kenny, and she can be annoying, but that doesn't mean you should freak out and go off on her like that."

He turned to the girl, removing his hands from Meowth and patting him on the head. "And why are you freaking out so much? It's almost like you _are _pregnant."

She laughed lightly and rubbed the back of her neck. "Funny story about that."

"Dawn!" He gasped; looking at her stomach like it was growing a rash. "How could you do something like that? And, no, don't you dare say something like: 'when a man and woman love each other very much' because I don't want to hear it! Even if you did couldn't you just…use protection or something? There are birth control pills and condoms! My mom even gave me some, which was really awkward, and if you had asked me I would have given you one and stop laughing! How is this fun…you aren't pregnant-" Ash blushed at this. "-are you?"

She shook her head, wrapped in giggles. "Of course not, you dork! I would have told you in a better way than that if I was! Kenny didn't knock me up, and if he ever does I promise to tell you first Big Brother. Not before him, but you'll be second. I think it's alright for me to get worked up over the boy I love. You know that amore; it just turns the world upside down!"

He scoffed. "Not this again. Dawn, your little think about love is ridiculous. You're not in love with Kenny. You _like _Kenny, you like him a lot. You're probably physically and mentally attracted to him as well, but he's only your second boyfriend. You don't know what you want in a person right now and no one finds their soul mate this young. And ever if they do they don't know it's their soul mate until they've grown up. And soul mates don't even exist because you can get a divorce or your partner dies and you can find another one. Soul mates aren't real. And that pregnancy thing wasn't funny. You had me worried."

"What, that I'm so stressed I'd have an Eggborn?" She smirked, leaning towards him instead of the map.

"You aren't funny," He snapped, his voice lowering to a whisper. "Even saying that word around here could bring us both in for testing. We'd probably both come back clean unless they've got some crackpot theory on how to spot them now, but I don't want to be tested like during the witch trials. The last thing we need is that wonderful ultimatum of: if they drown, they're human and if they live they're a witch and they have to be burned at the stake. I don't want to know what the high tech torture of that is."

She continued to grin. "Making you wear biopay pants?"

"Why can't you realize how serious this is?" Ash asked, grabbing her wrist in a tight grasp. "If you draw too much attention, we're screwed. We've got a talking Meowth, a Kanto Pikachu, and two kids from the Rebellion who are currently searching for another kid from the Rebellion. We're not exactly innocent bystanders. We're like the Zaptos and Articuno of Rocket prizes. I don't want to be put in a cage. I really, really like being free."

The girl's breath was short, and her other hand was clenched into a fist. "Ash, let go, you're hurting me."

He yanked his hand back quickly, apologizing wildly and smoothing his fingers over her wrist with a gentle concern and soft eyes. "I didn't mean to Dawn. I'm just scared. You can't be…I know sometimes it's better to joke but this isn't in the Rebellion where we're safe and sound. It's dangerous out here. It's really, really dangerous. We're too close to Team Rocket to be joking about this. I've got some potion in my backpack that'll fix you up."

"I'm fine, nothing's broken," She murmured, tenderly pulling back and cradling her injured wrist. "I'm just not used to getting hurt and it's happening an awful lot lately. I'm sorry I've been joking around so much. You're usually joking around with me, Ash. I don't know why you're so uptight now. It's perfectly fine to joke Ash, it's not like something bad is going to happen, like that whole rumor about saying bomb on an airplane."

"We're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy," Ash returned. "It _is _dangerous and it _isn't _alright to joke. The second we get into the Rebellion, yes, it's fine. It's fine to joke about plenty of things out here too. You just have to be careful. If we were anywhere else, with anyone else, doing anything else, it'd be alright."

She turned her face away. "It's that new girlfriend of yours. She's all uptight from what you've been saying. I bet she's rubbed off on you. Her and her stupid pills and Team Rocket and…you're not supposed to like her, you know. You should let her go. She's just some stupid Rocket girl. She isn't for you!" Dawn looked up fiercely, and Ash braced himself for a potential smack. "I don't know why you're going after her, and I'm sure no one else would understand it if I told them either! It's weird! It's completely ridiculous, Ash! You better pop one of those pills or grab a porno magazine, because all that's attracting you to her is hormones and testosterone and…and she not even all that pretty!"

"I think she's pretty, but I don't like her like that," Ash blushed. "Even if I did, what's the big deal? If she's not switching to the Rebellion I can't really be with her."

"You do too like her!" Dawn pouted. "I know you do because you turned red! And you'd find a way to bring her into the Rebellion! I know how you are! You've never read a single romantic book or seen a single heroic movie, but you can act out the parts like they're a script! I know you'll…you'll seduce her or show her the light, something stupid and she'll be swooning in your arms and in the Rebellion and just like a soap opera she'll betray us in the end. It's going to hurt a whole lot when you get betrayed by the redheaded hottie."

"I don't like her like that," Ash rolled his eyes. "And you still haven't told me why you hate the idea of me and her so much. I've been asking all night and you keep avoiding the question. What? Do you have a crush on her? Because if you do, I'm completely fine with that. You can have her."

The joke didn't make Dawn laugh, seeming to urge the girl's glare to deepen. "No, Ash, the reason behind all this is May."

He blinked, cocking his head to the side. Pikachu mimicked his action, coming up to sit on his shoulder to come eye to eye with the blue haired beauty. "May…why would the reason behind all this be May? It's been forever since we dated. We broke up a while ago. I'm not cheating on her, so I'm not doing anything wrong. Last time I checked May hadn't killed herself because she was so madly in love with me, so I don't see what the problem is."

"Because you're supposed to be!" Dawn snapped, crossing her arms. "It's bad enough that May's getting involved with…with that Team Magma member. She's almost ready to jump into the other team with Drew and completely forget about Kanto and what the Rebellion is doing! More importantly, she's forgetting all about you and your relationship! How can she just move on from something like that? I wouldn't! I still love Kenny and I won't move on just because he's not around anymore. People told you about Drew, right? They told you about that green haired freaky contest jerk that isn't good enough for her?"

"First of all, the slaughter of thousands and the oppression of Kanto's people is a little more important to me than romantic involvement. Secondly, May's a Hoenn citizen, as is Team Aqua and Magma. Granted, they aren't the best teams and get their motives screwed up sometimes, but from what I heard; May was actually converting Drew to _our _side, because he wants to help all the people in this region. We're pitied by every other reason; it's just that no one wants to upset Team Rocket in case they try conquering them too."

"You should care more about your love life, especially since May still loves you."

Ash chuckled. "No, she doesn't."

"Well, she should!" She growled. "You two were in love and you should stay that way forever! You can't break up and move on like it never happened! You have to be together! You're just giving it all up for people you don't even know. You don't know her anymore than she knows Drew. Besides, she's a redhead without freckles and that's really weird."

"This is about you and Kenny, isn't it?" Ash accused. "Dawn, it's completely different with May and me. I…May had a crush on me but it faded out and I never really liked her to begin with. I liked her but as a friend, not as a lover or anything like that. That's why we couldn't last. You really care about Kenny though, and in time you two really could become something special. I wish you all the luck with that. I hope you two do well."

"Us three," Dawn corrected jokingly, rubbing her stomach tenderly. She looked back up at his face and laughed, noticing the paleness and open mouth. "Close your mouth, Ash! You look as shocked as you did when the gelato girl started hitting on you! Someone ought to put a camera in your hat, just dangle it over your face and capture all your expressions. I would pay you hundreds of dollars if you gave me pictures of that!"

Ash glared, looking at Pikachu and Meowth. "You two do me the favor: search around the stairs. See what's below the underground. If you find anything that looks like it might hold Kenny, prisoners, or just something that looks dangerously experimental, tell us what's down there. If we can get a start there, we might be able to finish this in a day or two. I want to get back to mom and everyone else as soon as I can, not to mention get Kenny out of trouble. The last thing we need is for him to be tortured beyond compare, but don't worry Dawn, we already went over the reasons why he isn't going to be tortured. Let's go back to the dorm. You're heading down to the Rebellion?"

"Yeah, but I've got one last question," She declared, poking him in the chest. "I still don't want you dating what's-her-face, but I can't get you to get over her if you won't admit you like her. So we'll do a test, remember what it felt like when you kissed May."

He rolled his eyes. "Imagined, the memory's nice."

"Okay, now picture what it would be like to kiss Misty."

He flushed deeply, remembering his dream a night or two before, and the blue eyed vixen began to laugh again. Perhaps thinking of Misty was a little more erotic than his ex-girlfriend, but he was sure that was just the building hormones that came with no physical contact (aside from wrestling with the girl and pinning her to the floor during which, frankly, he could only focus on keeping her from killing him instead of the nice position they had fallen into) for quite a few months. It didn't change that the laughter was still horribly embarrassing and his face felt so hot it must have been melting.

As he strode away purposefully, Dawn caught his wrist and began to whine. "But Ash! What are you going to do about Kenny! You can't just walk away from all this! Please, finish talking to me. I won't make fun of you anymore."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his free hand, and nodded at her. "The only thing we can do is run a scouting mission. Pikachu and Meowth can run around underground, see if there's anything good in there. If we don't find anything…I'm sure we'll find something, but we need a place to start if nothing else. I don't want to have to get technology all messed up in this, hack security cameras and all that. Max is the best at that and talking to him is going to mean more questions about May and I don't need that."

She nodded shortly, pulling him into a hug and whispering in his ear: "I know it's been a tough time, hearing all of this and finding out about how you were never really on a mission alone, but you're a good guy. I know you'll help Kenny, I know it. You're such a nice boy, Ash. I bet you can do anything if you try hard enough. It's been stressful and it's a lot of surprises for you all at once, but I know you can work through it."

"Yup, my first mission alone," He chuckled.

She hugged tighter and smiled. "You're never alone, Ash, you know that."

He pulled away and kissed her cheek gently. "I know. Thanks for your support. Make sure you tell my mom I'm fine and everything's going well. And…don't tell her I knew Kenny was up here to watch me. Tell her you lied to me. Make up some kind of story. I'd rather her tell me by herself and I'm sure she'd like it better that way."

She nodded and smiled wider. "Alright, bring him back safe. I don't want my baby raised without a father."

Dawn barely ducked in time to miss the swing at her head.

* * *

Misty sat on the floor, legs crossed tightly and arms loose at her sides, leaning back on them whilst she stared at the door. She was listening intently, hoping to catch footsteps on the other side of the door. She wanted Ash to come in, very badly. Her pokémon were all tucked away. She had cleaned up the room, played some video games, thought about the murder and had her hands go clammy with the after effects of shock, but as the clock clicked to four in the morning, Ash still wasn't anywhere around. It made her heart twist in her chest, and she couldn't help but frown a little as another minute went by on the clock and she realized he hadn't even told her he was going out or told her goodbye. This made her frown deepen.

The doorknob twisted and in he walked, jumping when he saw her on the floor. Pikachu slipped off his shoulder when he jumped, sparking when she hit and racing to hide under the bed with an outraged squeal. He took a big swallow, and then smiled at the girl, who continued to scowl at him despite the fluttering in her chest. "Misty, what are you doing up? I thought you were on your pills. You usually don't wake up until the alarm goes off in the morning, don't you? I can, uh, get you a sleeping pill or something if you're having problems sleeping."

She fought off the urge to smile because, well, he _hadn't _left her to die. He was back. She managed to hold her frown still as she snapped, "Ever since you got here the pills have not been working the way they are supposed to. Sleeping pills will not be necessary. It is very annoying, Ash, and I am not pleased with it. I am almost very, very displeased with you not saying goodbye to me before you left or ever telling me you were going out. I am your roommate, and as such, I should be informed every so often what you are doing."

He scoffed. "Excuse me; I need to tell you where I'm going? You're not my mother. You don't need to know anything about me. As long as it doesn't involve you, I don't see why it's such a big deal. You should shut up about informing one another. I don't even know where you stash your gun! Not to mention you snuck out to go swimming, which you didn't even tell me you liked to do! You're one to talk with being all secretive and stuff! Back me up Pikachu! Pikachu? Oh, come on! Get out from under the bed!"

"You know, Ash, I wouldn't tempt me. I've killed a man."

"Yeah, yeah," He waved her off. "And you've got a gun hidden in the room. No one's ever going to take you seriously if you keep telling all these lies."

"I have killed a man," She declared, trying to keep herself calm. She took a deep breath in and out. "Ash, I, uh…I killed Butch."

He fell face first into the floor, tripping with surprise, open mouthed in his amazement. "You killed Butch! How could you possibly kill Butch? You're lying, joking! You have to be! There's no possible way you could've actually killed him! I mean, maybe if you actually tripped him and he fell down a flight of stairs but that doesn't count as killing someone!" He paused. "You're joking with me then. That's what it is! Just like Dawn was joking about Kenny getting her pregnant. Well, let me tell you Misty, that isn't funny. You shouldn't joke about junk like that."

She swallowed, wringing her hands together and looking down at the floor. "I'm…I'm not joking Ash. It wasn't really on purpose but I killed him."

"And why the hell are you telling me this?" He screamed, eyes bulging out of his head. He glanced at Pikachu, who had come out from the bed to nip at his hand, reminding him to calm down and that the walls might be thinner than expected. People next door might be listening, ready to condemn, and Ash wasn't making it hard for them to hear.

"So you can turn me in!" She cried, leaning towards him. "See, you're not well liked, but if you do this, well, you'll be better liked than before. I need to be punished because of what I did, regardless, so why not try and get something nice out of it for you? You can…you can boost your credit. No one likes me much anyway and you'll be a hero. You'll be killing a criminal, doing society a favor, but appealing to that disgusting human nature that craves to see those we hate fail."

"Wait, Misty, why did you kill him?" Ash asked, moving closer to her with concern. "I mean, was it an accident or…?"

"I've got no idea how to explain it," she sighed, easily looking him in the eye. "It was some kind of cross between self defense and an accident. I wanted to get him away from me, Ash. He was in clear violation of Rocket rules. He was drunk, trying to rape me, I think. He was hitting on me for sure. I didn't mean to kill him, but a smack turned into something much worse. I couldn't stop myself. He kept moving no matter how many times I hit him. Well, until he died. Then he stopped moving pretty well."

"He tried to rape you?" Ash asked, reaching out to touch her shoulder, but he drew away at the last moment, letting it fall to the floor. "Did he-?"

"He kissed me," she shrugged. "It's no big deal, certainly not anything to kill him over. He didn't touch me. But what are you waiting for? You've just found out, so hurry up and run down the hall and turn me in. The suspense is killing me."

"You don't sound like the suspense is killing you," Ash returned. "I'm glad he didn't touch you. So, tell me what would happen if I turned you in. What would happen to _you_? I don't care what would happen or what it's going to do to my reputation."

"They'll kill me," She said shortly.

"Kill you?" He gawked. "But you had the right to kill him if he was breaking Rocket codes, don't you? You can defend yourself and you get off free. I mean, don't you just get a detention or something? Or, I mean, Mew! Team Rocket is all about murder! It's a war mongering team! They can't possibly be this against killing! You're doing what you're being trained to do! You're a team rocket agent number…whatever the hell your number is! Your biggest purpose is to kill anyone who gets in your way!"

"Agent 1163169," She murmured.

"There's been that many of you?"

"When people get promoted or caught by another team their number changes. There's probably less than a third of that many members, no need to freak, and this is over the years and years that Team Rocket's been an organization. I don't count as a real member. I don't have the same rights. I break the rules, I'm dead as dead can be. And I deserve it! Ash, I killed a man! I need you to turn me in. I don't know if I can do it myself. Please, Ash, you've got to."

"I'm not letting them kill you!" Ash whispered sharply. "Whether you want to be or not, you're my friend now, and I'm not letting anyone, not even Team Rocket kill you for doing what was right. Did you clean up the crime scene? Hide the body? I've got a Charizard, I don't know if it's hot enough but I bet we can burn most of it away. We can dig a hole deep enough and get rid of the body. I don't know what we'll do to get rid of the DNA. Where'd you do it?"

"I slammed his head in the washing machine, and then I threw him down the furnace. I jumped on his head too, before I threw him in the furnace, of course. The sound was disgusting. I probably shouldn't be telling you all these details. You're not very good with this stuff, but it keeps playing over and over in my head and the sounds get louder every time. It was down in the wash room, so cleaning materials were everywhere. The place is completely clean. If anyone turned me in, I wanted it to be on my terms and for something useful. You know, I figured it would keep you safe and really help you along. I guess that's how I show you're my friend."

"That's the creepiest nice thing anyone's ever done for me," Ash blinked. "But thanks. I'm glad you consider me a friend."

"It's only because I'm on death row," She sighed, leaning on her hand, propping her elbow on her thigh. He leaned back in turn, keeping the distance between them about the same. "If there _is_ a god up there, or Arceus, or whatever controls this whole crazy mess, at least I'll be able to say I had a friend when I died. It's got nothing to do with you. I'd say I'm friends with Pikachu, but as wonderful as he is I don't think that really counts. So go turn me in."

"I'm not turning you in!" He snapped. "There's no point to it! My popularity isn't suddenly going to shoot up and I don't care if it did. You're more important than something stupid like that. Even if _you _think we're not friends, I know we are."

"You're such a baby," Misty retorted.

She stood up quickly and made her way to the desk, opening the drawer and pulling out her virtual reality glasses. These were a new pair, beta testing for a new region, pitch black in color. They slid comfortably over her eyes, the special material seeming to melt to fit the bridge of her nose and the curve of her ears. She hadn't expected them to be so comfortable. Her hand was going for the power switch when he snatched them off her face. Hiding them behind his back when she made a careless reach for them, and returning her glare just as fiercely when she tried to scare him off. Apparently, her new murder record didn't frighten him at all, a disappointing fact, because she had hoped that _something _good would come of it.

"Don't grab those off my face, especially with the power of. Those aren't safe. Grabbing them off before a save point, a manual shut down, or some kind of emergency situation broadcasted _through _those glasses for them to shut themselves down, you could completely mess up my brain. I wouldn't be able to tell reality from fiction and I'd run around thinking I was a ten year old trainer with a short skirt and tight shirt. You need to be careful with these kinds of things."

"Oh, you mean it's not safe, like _killing _someone?" Ash growled. "Misty, you can't just go into your own little world after something like this. I mean, give me all the details. Let something out. I want to help you and I want to know what happened. I want to make you feel better. I want to keep you safe. Don't rant about how I need to keep you safe because you're a girl and all that, it's not. You're just…you've killed a man and I'm afraid it's really going to rip you up inside."

She snorted and made another grab for her glasses. "You're a Rocket member. Enough with the touchy feely crap! Be an agent!" She did a quick twist and caught them, trying to rip them from his hands, and was surprised to find his strong grip enough to rip her off her feet. She scrambled to her feet, face bright red at his snickers, and ran off for bed, screaming with fury when he grabbed her around the waist and hauled her away. She scratched at him, but her nails were cut too short to be useful and she was too frantic to think about biting.

His voice was low as he hissed in her ear, "Those pills are wearing off, aren't they? I've never seen you this wild before. The pills are wearing off and I don't know why, but I'm betting it means that you're going to have a huge storm of emotions freaking you out. Don't you think it's better to start talking things out now than having them all catch up to you later? You can take all the pills you want, but it won't mean a thing if they don't work."

She had stopped failing, standing up straight, and looking at him over her shoulder. "I don't want to talk about anything. I can handle it on my own. I told you: Turn me in or leave me be. I'm not putting up with you and your emotional junk. Let me go so I can go to sleep. I'm going to take a pill, and they _are _working just fine. Don't talk about what you don't know. And you…you're gonna be in big trouble if you keep your hand on me. This seems an awful lot like Butch was doing, touching me when I don't want to be."

"That's a lie," He giggled, releasing her. "But you know I'll be here if you need me, right? I promise to take care of you if you need me."

"Yeah, well, I'll let you know if that's necessary," She sniffed, crossing her arms and looking away.

He laughed, bringing his lips to her cheek in a gentle kiss, suddenly flushing and getting bashful as he pulled away. "I'm sorry. It's just a force of habit, nothing romantic. It's a friendship thing, a family thing. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, I don't mind at all. As long as you don't try making a habit out of it. I'm not a big fan of all this friendship stuff."

He grinned wickedly, "Oh, _someone _sounds cranky. Does someone need a hug? I think you do!"

He caught her up, tackling her to the floor and laughing, despite her screams and taking notice of the little smile on her face. He tried to pin her, surprised when she was fighting back, not kicking or scratching but playfully pushing him off and trying to pin him down instead. Perhaps most surprising to him, more than the gelato girl hitting on him, more than the "I'm pregnant" joke, more than the murder or anything she had done the entire night, was the feeling that flushed through him when he finally managed to pin her, hair spread out around her face, a small smile tucked away at the corner of her mouth.

Combined with the stress of the night, Ash actually fell away, everything hitting him all at once. He was dimly aware of Misty's fingers gripping his wrist, feeling the irregular pulse and smoothing over her fingers over his hand, quickly getting slick with sweat. His pupils were dilated, as far as Misty could tell from looking in his eyes. He heard Pikachu's voice in the distance, saying something about the crazy night he had.

He barely felt the hit to his back as he went unconscious, and he couldn't help but think that, though it was just another symptom, it was a nice relief from the shock.

* * *

Looks longer, but is actually shorter. What a surprise! And I changed the genre to drama. It's not really an adventure.


	10. Honor

_**Honor**_

_It had started with him "waking up" from his unconscious state. Though part of him seemed well aware that it was all a twisted dream, he couldn't keep himself from getting much more involved in it than he should have; everything from rubbing his eyes in hope to shake off the sleepy feeling to taking in the world around him as if at any moment something might leap out of the shadows and attack him. But nothing was, not that he could think of. It would be awfully hard to find any shadows in the empty infirmary. Several empty, white sheet beds were to his left, everyone had to be as uncomfortable as the one he was laying in. The sheets were stiff and cold, he guessed he hadn't been in them for long, and the pillow made a crinkling sound when he turned his head. There was a white wall to his right, and grey stone beneath him. Medical equipment was all around as well, not hooked to him, but scattered more like a hospital than a school nurse's office._

_Something lightly brushed the back of his hand, and he bolted upright, surprised to see Pikachu curled at his feet and Misty near his hips. Her legs were pulled up on the bed, leaning on one hand, causing her to lean over the newly awakened boy. His face was only a few inches away from hers, and he immediately recoiled, falling onto the sheets. Pikachu scampering through the cave Misty's arm made and poking her cold nose into his cheek calmed him down a bit, letting the dream world stabilize._

_She smirked at him, leaning over his face, but still staying a good distance away. "You dork. Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to wake up?"_

_He stared up at her, shifting uncomfortably under his sheets. "I'm sorry I fainted. I got stressed. It was a long night and…this friend of mine stopped by. Her friend, her boyfriend went missing. He's probably just wandering around in another town. She told me she was pregnant. It was a joke but, she led me to believe it for a moment and it really freaked me out. If she was pregnant it wouldn't be safe and, you know. Pregnancy is really stressful. And, I mean, other stuff was going down that really scared me. Then this gelato girl, well, it was before the pregnancy thing but she was hitting with me and I don't deal with that well. I just wanted to run but I really wanted gelato."_

_The girl smiled, a real, wide smile that he'd never seen her give before, lifting her hand to press it down on his black shirt covered shirt. She leaned in close, close enough for her breath to mingle with his. "You're kidding me? All this time I've been yelling at you and screaming at you and threatening to kill you, and all I had to do was pucker my lips? I feel stupid. So what's the arrangement? A kiss keeps you away for a week or a day or something? Because if I have to kiss you once a week to shut you up I'm completely willing to hold my part of the bargain. But…that could be for completely different reasons than what I'm suggesting." She lowered her chin and narrowed her eyes in a sexy manner. "Maybe I've got a crush on you."_

"_Very funny! That stuff really does freak me out!" He sat up again, attempting to throw her off, but only succeeded in bring her smug, taunting lips closer. The breath seemed to rush out of his chest, and the next few words were hard to push out. "You're not the gelato girl, so get off. I'm not going to stop talking to you because you pretend to hit on me. You're not cute enough to be sexy." He chuckled at that, feeling confident that this would throw her off. At the very least, he expected a blow to his head before she stormed off._

_He was startled to feel her press on his chest, laying him out flat and pressing heavily against him. Pikachu scampered to the side leaving Misty room to drape the entire upper half of her torso along his. Their foreheads touched, almost casually as she let her fingers trail downward, under his shirt and smooth the taught muscles she found. His breath was coming in heavier and heavier gasps that he tried to hide, wishing he knew how to stop his blush._

"_I know you like me, Ash," She whispered, lips dangerously close but never touching. "I could tell by the way you looked at me last night _right _before you passed out. You were afraid I'd notice. I'm almost sorry that I did. Sorry for you, but you know it's all your fault. If you were better at hiding your emotions you might not be in this mess. Or maybe if you weren't just so scared of liking someone. Maybe that's why you and your old girlfriend broke up. You were afraid of the romance and she didn't know how to bring out the heat. Such a pity. And it's strange, since you're so open and all, that I can't even tell if you're lusting after me or if you're afraid I'm going to rape you."_

"_Misty, can't you just drop the topic?" He gulped nervously. "I don't like this at all and your hands on my, uh, stomach is really distracting. Besides, someone could walk in at any moment and catch us. That'll be embarrassing, right? You'll end up ruining _your _reputation instead of saving mine."_

_She drummed her fingers against his stomach; smile turning wicked when he shivered under her. "You're cute, Ash. I don't know if _you _know that you are, but I promise you that you're _very _cute. I can't imagine why you wouldn't have a girlfriend. Maybe you're not a good kisser. I don't suppose you would mind me testing it, seeing if you were…as stupid at this as you are when it comes to common sense? I'm just a curious creature and I really want to know why anyone could give you up. From what I could tell you're sweet, understanding…" Her fingers brushed against his chest again, roaming up and down. "From what I'm feeling you've got a nice body too, so that couldn't be it."_

_He laughed lightly. "Funny, Misty, but I think the time for jokes passed when you did…you know what to Butch."_

"_Who said I was joking?" She smirked. "I'm anything but. Argue now, Ash Ketchum, tell me that you don't want a kiss and you'll be off on your merry way, look me in the eye and tell me that you don't want to kiss me, that I'm just a friend, that you don't find me the least bit sexy. I bet you can't." She shuffled closer to him, closer than he thought any person ever could and tilted her head sideways. "Just kiss me, Ashton."_

"_It's Ash," he blurted, right before leaning up and-_

-finding himself in that very same infirmary, only much more realistic. Misty was not over him, or on the foot of his bed, but sitting in a chair nearby with virtual reality glasses on and Pikachu on her lap. Noticing him wake, the mouse moved its ears forward and scrambled to his bed. She nuzzled his cheek, showering him with licking pika-kisses and clutching to him with little claws. He absently reached a hand up to pet her, head on pillow and back on bed, wondering what to say.

"You fainted because of the shock. Nearly scared the shit out of me. I thought you had a heart attack or something," she said, not bothering to remove the virtual glasses. "These betas suck. You don't really get into the game. It's the Orre region or something. This crazy girl keeps following me around. I'm trying to find a glitch to get her off my trail and…there we go. She can't follow me if I jump off the stairs. I'll pick her up later if I need her. I probably won't. She seems pretty pointless." She took off her glasses and tucked them in the front of her uniform. "Any question about your fainting spell?"

"Boys don't faint," he muttered, staring up at the ceiling. "They get knocked unconscious or something, but that don't faint. Girls faint."

"You fainted," she retorted. "It's a symptom of shock. You fainted. Nobody swung a bat at your head or stoned you. Your little blue haired friend, Dawn, I think it was, she told you that you were pregnant, some ice cream girl hit on you and I told you my dirty little secret. I don't know what you're so embarrassed about. It'd be perfectly normal to faint under the circumstances. I might have if I hadn't gone into a sort of survival mode. I bet it's the years of Rocket training. If you promise not to try and move or take out the IV in your arm, I'll tell you what's been going down these past couple of days. Your speech is still a little muddled by the drugs, so lift your hand up in the air if you agree to the conditions."

He did so, raising one hand only to have it plop back down on the bed when he realized there was an inconveniently placed needle. She sighed and scooted her chair up next to his bed, running her hands on her thighs once, twice, and one more time before leaning close and beginning to whisper the tale.

"I brought you down here a few hours after you fainted. You weigh more than a snorlax, by the way."

"It's all muscle," she shot back, noticing the speech _was _a little garbled by whatever drugs were wearing off.

"Shush," she scolded. "Don't talk. I can barely understand you with that country boy accent of yours let alone with drugs. Anyway, I led you down here because I was worried that if might not have been shock, that you might have a heart problem. I don't know your medical records. Thankfully, they confirmed that it was just the shock. Unfortunately, you kept waking up and thinking you were in a war or something, having a freak out every time you woke up. I wasn't here and you thought they had arrested me for murder. To be accurate, you said manslaughter, which is incorrect because it wasn't an accident. If it's an accident, it's manslaughter. If it's on purpose, it's murder."

(_If you can't finish the story without getting off on these tangents, I'll finish it for you,_) Pikachu suggested jokingly. She nuzzled deeper into Ash's palm which was rubbing her head. She was too excited at his sudden waking to be mad, and skipped the usual bitter snap to her sarcasm.

"Alright, picky," she snapped. "They kept you out for three days. The first was at my recommendation. I thought you needed a good night's rest from the stress. I noticed you hadn't been sleeping a lot lately, except for when you got sick, but even that was fretful. The second and third days were…" Misty breathed in and out, fiddling with the glasses in her shirt. "And this is _painful _to say, so don't you dare ho0ld this over my head. I'll shoot you if you do, but…I wasn't here. I had a work day because…because some people around the school were saying that you fainted because you couldn't handle the stress. I got in an argument with…" She gulped and put her head in her hands. "Damn, I fought with Jessie over it. I punched her right in the jaw. James wasn't around and she didn't have her pokémon on her. It was an easy fight, but James came in right at the end and told the teacher on me."

He smirked. "Fighting for my honor."

"I was _not_," she argued hotly. Her head suddenly turned up, and her hand shot out to pinch his bicep to make him cry out. "I was _not _fighting for your honor, you dork. I was…I don't know what I was doing! I was fighting for factual accuracy, to keep your reputation up since you refused to boost it yourself the other night. And don't talk; I can still barely understand you. It's too much work to figure out what you say."

(_There's more to the story,_) Pikachu accused, sitting comfortably on Ash's chest. (_He deserves to know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth._)

"Clever rat. Maybe I don't want to tell him the rest of the story because I know what he'll do and I think it's in his best interest that he doesn't. He just woke up. For all we know any more stress could send him into a second overload and he could faint on us. I don't want to take the risk. If you were a good pokémon who cared for your master, you would be kind enough to keep your trap shut and stop Ash from putting himself in more trouble than he's already in.""

"What's going on?"

"I think you said what's going on. Not that I can tell with the drugs. If that _is _what you asked, the answer would be that Pikachu ran off with a Meowth to the basement. She only spent a few minutes with me," Misty dismissed him quickly. "Shame, shame, Jazzy. What's that short for anyway, Jasper?"

(_Tell him or I will. You don't want your lover to hate you, do you? Oh, no. I don't think you do. You two are friends now.)_ Pikachu seemed to smirk at Misty, her tail swishing back and forth through the air above Ash's chest. He was happy that she managed to keep it from hitting him in the face, since he had been ordered not to move on penalty of not knowing what had been going on. (_So hurry up and tell him! He'll be fine. The boy knows how to take care of himself._)

Misty glared at the opposite wall. "Alright. Ash, Paul has challenged you to a match later today. I tried to battle him for you, but he wouldn't let me. There was something about your pride and ability as a Rocket agent and a trainer on the line. Boys and their big heads are so annoying. I know you're going to rush into battle, but you _shouldn't_. You've just recovered from sickness. You're terribly stressed. You're going to be in a lot of trouble if you don't at least _try _to take care of yourself. If you have the slightest bit of intelligence in you, and I'm sure you've got to if you made it this far without killing yourself, you'll take another shot of that sleeping elixir and just _wait _to battle over something like this."

"You wouldn't," he said. "You wouldn't, if it was your honor on the line. You would fight him the second you heard. So would all of my friends. Honor is more important than health."

"It may be for you, but it shouldn't be."

"Of course it should!" He declared, sitting up slowly. "What's the point of living if you're just going to be boring and stupid and a nothing? What's the point if you don't, what's the word, _contribute_ to the human race? Part of who I am if being a big headed boy. I like my pride. It makes me feel good. I don't have a girlfriend so I need something to make me feel better. So, we've got two options: you can kiss me right now and I'll forget about the battle or I can fight and keep my big headed ego. Do we have a deal?"

She got to her feet quickly, beginning to stride away. "Kill yourself, how about that, you ass?"

He grabbed her wrist, pulling her back. "I was _joking_. I'm not serious. But I _am _serious when I say I'm going to fight, and I'm going to win. I don't care about boosting my reputation but I don't want people lying about me." Ash moved over and gave a small tug, urging her to sit next to him on the bed, which she did (though she still refused to make eye contact). "Unlike you, I don't like being underestimated. I have to fight for this, just like you fought Butch for Team Rocket. It's your _moral code_, Misty. It's a huge part of who you are. And it's not like we're playing Russian Roulette. We aren't making this a matter of life or death. It's a pokémon battle."

"But it _could_ be," she mumbled. "With you the way you are. You haven't been healthy lately. Things are getting weird and…and I don't need you getting dragged off and asked about what happened with Butch. You're the only one who knows about it. Besides, your mom sounds like a real crazy person and I don't need her coming in and killing me because you're dead."

"Oh, Misty, you do care," he teased.

She flushed in return. "Stop that. I do _not. _Go and fight in the battle for all I care. Get yourself killed. It's not like anyone will mind your absence. In fact, most people will enjoy you being gone you self centered, big headed, inconsiderate…" She cocked her head to the side. "Why the hell are you rubbing my hand with your thumb? It's not a game controller. Unless I'm dying and for some weird reason that's the only way you're keeping me alive, you better quit."

He scrunched his eyebrows together. "What were you doing that your hands are so cold?"

She tugged it away, rubbing them together to try and warm them up. "It was my punishment. I just got off. We were putting meat and food in the freezer. It's negative something degrees in there and I'm still shaking. It was better than yesterday's. I had to scrub the floor of Jessie's room with a toothbrush. I stole some of your pills to keep me calm enough for that job. You don't mind me taking them, do you? There's still plenty left and you can get refills whenever you like."

"I don't mind. Take all the pills you want." He shrugged and arched his back, cracking it with a happy moan. "They didn't take care of my body at _all_, some hospital this is. The beds suck, the pillow's uncomfortable. Whoever made this should be ashamed. Just like whoever thought up those punishments. That's cruel and unusual. Did she watch?"

"The whole time. That's why I needed the pills," she muttered. "Your best friend thought up the punishments."

"Brock?" He joked.

"Earl."

"Ouch." He winced in sympathy. "Alright, here's what we'll do. We'll get me to the room. I'll change. I can try and stretch a bit. Then I'm going to get that book about Satoshi and I'm going to read until it's my challenge time. Then I'm going to kick Paul's ass. I think that's a great plan. But first you have to grab my hands and help me up. I haven't stood up in three days and I'm still kind of sleepy. What'd they knock me out with? Pokemeds?"

"Nah, it's nothing heavy. It's just long lasting." The girl stood and turned to him, holding out her hands and hoisting him up. She was only a little surprise when his momentum tossed him forward and his heavy weight into her. It did surprise her that the only thing he could do was grab her shoulders and tell her how sorry he was that he couldn't stand up on his own. "Are you sure you don't want to stay here a little longer? You can't even stand up."

"Can too," he argued. "I just need your help. My legs aren't working right. And you smell like bacon. Why do you smell like bacon? I thought everyone got those damn foodcubes. If other people get bacon for breakfast _I _should get bacon." His bacon rambling continued on while they twisted and turned so he could lean on her shoulder and they could limp their way back to the room, which wasn't an easy task.

"There's no bacon for you, dammit," she snapped, beginning to walk with him down the hall. "It's for the pokémon. The rich people's pokémon that visit sometimes. They have parties every so often. They invite all the big shots; sometimes they even invite rival teams. Though rival teams don't show up too often anymore, not after what happened to Team Psychic. Apparently they couldn't see the future very well. All the major team officials had showed up for a ball. Their food was poisoned and anyone with an immunity to it, it wasn't a very strong poison, I guess, but they were all slaughtered before they were out the door of the cafeteria. The Rocket Supremes had knives that they chucked. Most of them hit right in the heart."

"Like those shuriken Japanese things?" He asked.

"No, like blades. Like normal knives you use to cut steak with. They picked them up and threw them. It's something you can do if you get the hang of it. They weren't perfectly balanced, so they might land at a weird angle, but they all hit their targets. I think I was…ten? Yup, probably about ten at the time. I was hidden by the girl who brought me into the Rockets. She was the only Rocket casualty that night. One of the psychics had managed to draw out a pokeball." Misty looked at the floor. "They were aiming for me."

"Why would they aim for you? You were just a kid."

"That's _why _they aimed for me. I was the youngest. They figured they'd be able to capture a kid for ransom. Like Team Rocket would care." She rolled her eyes. "Giovanni said it was her own fault. She dragged me everywhere, like I was her puppy. If she hadn't been so attached to me, he said, we would have had a clean night. Instead she got sentimental, so one of us had to go. He said that she had done the honorable thing in dying instead of me, since I might be worth something one day but she was going over the hill. I don't think she was going over the hill. But I guess she died for nothing, because I didn't turn out that good of an agent. All she had is her honor."

Misty glared at him. "And what good is your honor if you're dead? Giovanni asked me that too, and I didn't know how to answer. Then he walked away." Her gaze softened on Ash. "You look a lot like him, you know. You're different though. Your face is more…it's gentler, rounder. He's dangerous and rough and you're cute. Sort of fluffy. You're like a marshmallow. It sounds insulting, but people do like marshmallows. I've never had one, but some of the kids around here see a fire and start muttering about them. What do fires have to do with marshmallows?"

"Ya roast 'em," Ash explained. "Add chocolate and graham crackers and you've got yourself a s'more. You don't think I'm tough?"

"What a question," she snorted. "I'm sure you're plenty tough, macho boy. Don't go getting your masculinity insulted. I'm just…I've had a lot of time to think since I've been scrubbing floors with toothbrushes and punching Jessie in her weak, bony jaw-"

"All in the name of honor," He pointed out cheerfully.

"Yeah, yeah, in the name of honor, but here's the thing. You, dear Ash, aren't anything like Giovanni. You're not ruthless or strong, in that rugged sense, or anything that would make you a good team leader. You're weak in that sense. It's nice to see someone human but I can't help wonder what you're doing here. Your mother didn't want you to come. You don't seem like the type of boy who would be interested in fighting." They stopped at the door and she patted herself down. "Shit, I forgot the key. That means the room's been unlocked. I hope no one got in. Shit. If you'd lean against the wall I can open the door."

She supported him as he shifted his weight to the door, then went and swung it open, cursing again. Nothing was too bad, but both hers and Ash's clothes had been flung on the ground. She called out to him what had happened, then began to clean up. Her things were tucked away in a drawer and his were neatly packed (as they had been all these months) back into the suitcase he had when he first arrived. When that was finished she brought him in and set him on the lower bunk.

"Can I have the book?" He asked sweetly, giving her his best smile. "See, I left the book somewhere in the room but I can't remember where it is and I feel guilty, especially after you've cleaned up the whole room and hauled me up and down to the hospital."

She sat on his bed and glared at his face. "First, you tell me why you're in Team Rocket."

"Your beautiful teal orbs sparkle like the ocean at sunset," Ash said poetically, grabbing one of her hands in two of his. He was about to raise it to his lips and kiss it when she snatched it away and slapped him across the back of his head.

"Moron. I bet you can't handle being bored, can you? I'll annoy you and keep that book away until you tell me what's going on." She smirked and propped her chin on her fist. "You said yourself I'm fast. You won't be able to beat me in a game of keep away so…are you going to give me the answer or am I going to have to lock you up and watch you lose your honor when you don't show up for that match with Paul?"

"Well, I thought it might toughen me up a bit," Ash shrugged. "My whole family's been fighters, so I guess that was part of it. I just wanted to be something. My dad was something, my uncles, my cousins, my grandfather was too. Everyone was something in my family besides me. I don't think it's too much to ask. I think I should get to ask a question in return, hmm? Even out the score? I think that's fair."

"Shoot."

"Do you really think that girl who cared for you, the one who brought you _into _Team Rocket deserved to die for protecting you?"

She sighed and walked to the desk, picking up the book and tossing it into his lap. "Here's your book. You've got about halfway through. I'm pretty proud. Have you got to the part where Satoshi dresses up like a girl to get into the gym?"

Ash chuckled. "Yeah. I can't believe he would do that for a badge. I might, I guess, if I wanted to become a master. But he trusted the criminals to dress him up and get him in safely! That was a stupid mood. I wouldn't have done that."

"I think you would have," She said, tapping the book cover. "There's a _striking _resemblance between you and Satoshi. Now, I don't know what the guy looked like, because the sites that give you pictures of fictional authors have been blocked, but your personalities are practically identical. You're more alike than you and Giovanni are. You two just look alike physically. You know…You have to promise not to tell anybody, but I don't really like Giovanni. I love Team Rocket, don't get me wrong! I think it's wonderful! That hasn't changed, and he's a great leader, and I fear and respect him, but he's ruthless. It might not be better to be feared than loved, because one day you're going to find someone who won't fear you, someone brave and strong, and they'll take you down. There will always be people who don't like you, but it's the people who don't fear you that do you in. That's always the way it works."

He put the book aside and leaned close. "Well, Misty, are you afraid of Giovanni?"

She ducked her head. "Well, I guess I should be but…whenever I see him doing something against Team Rocket code…like Butch did. When he keeps the same six ground type pokémon and demands that ours all have to be different. When he sleeps with women and makes sure all the illegitimate kids are killed when they're only six or seven." Her eyes met his, a vicious light inside them. "I can't be scared. I'm too angry."

He grinned, meeting her bright eyes with ones just as vibrant. "Want to know a secret?"

She nodded, heart rate rising in her chest.

Ash's voice dropped to a whisper, and with words crazy enough to make her shiver he confessed, "I'm not scared either. I'm just mad enough to do him in."

"That's Rebellion talk," she murmured. "You could get in big trouble for that. Destroying Giovanni could crumple Team Rocket. There's no one to take his place. He never had any children and everyone here has been on the pill to long to do anything but take orders. It would be wonderful to get a better leader, someone who would carry out the original Rocket dream and make everything alright again."

Silence fell between the two, until Misty picked up the book and flopped it open to the page he had folded. "Chapter 64: Mr. Mime Time. I love the books, but there really is something lacking in these titles. They're all so punny. And if you say puns are funny, I may have to chuck this book at your head." She eyed him carefully, as if to make sure he wasn't about to make a pun or say something equally stupid. "Anyway, _Satoshi began to dial his phone number on the vidphone, hoping his mother would be excited to see him again after such a long visit apart…_"

* * *

There was something about walking down the corridors with her that were seeming more and more like home. There was something about their swinging arms, close enough to touch if either one dared, and their footsteps falling into place, into time with one another's that seemed to calm him. Maybe because he felt safe in a group, maybe because he finally felt that he knew her about as well as he knew Brock or Gary or anyone down in the Rebellion. There was something about her that seemed like he was home again.

"There's nothing I can say to talk you out of it," she murmured. "Not a thing. I've been thinking and trying and wondering but…you're a stubborn boy. I could try but, well, after a certain point there's nothing I can do. Not a damned thing. If you weren't so fucking stubborn I'd…damn it Ash!" She stepped in front of him and walked backwards, and though her steps fell heavier, she didn't fall out of their rhythm. "I'll drag you to the room kicking and screaming."

He smiled and shook his head with a chuckle. "You don't know what I'm capable of. I'm a really good battler, Misty. If nothing else, _that _is what I'm good at. That's how I got such a high Battle IQ. Alright," he amended, "Maybe that's a lie. A big lie. I studied for that. But I've been battling since I was ten. I've got the heart of a warrior inside me! Pikachu, you'll battle your butt off for me, won't you? He's insulted our honor! It's time to fight!"

(_Yes, yes. I'm for honor as much as the next guy. We'll fight._) Pikachu dropped her voice to a whisper into Ash's ear, making it look like she was nuzzling him to any outside viewer. (_But you know the second you win or lose we're splitting. You better make the decision about Misty quick. You know you won't have any time to think during the battle. And you better not let your emotions cloud your judgment. The only reason I'm considering her is because she spent so much damn time with you she's a huge risk. Plus, she seems like a good agent they aren't using. See the logic? See how the words 'pretty' or 'cute' or 'charming' aren't used?_)

"Yeah, I know," he chuckled, swinging her into his arms and scratching her behind the ears. His eyes flicked up to Misty. "For someone who doesn't consider me a friend, except to get her out of hell, you're pretty concerned."

She had to turn her head to hide the faint blush crawling on her cheeks. "I hope you're not assuming I care. It's all about the guilt. Team Rocket loyalty! You get the Team Rocket loyalty, you're a member! I mean, well, if you screw up your reputation is completely ruined! Accepting his challenged completely ruins you! Completely! It's insane! You can't do it, Ash! I guess you can, I've never seen you battle but it's better if you don't. It's better if you stay home. It's so much better, dammit, Ash, please."

"Maybe if you say you care about what I do," he suggested, slipping past her and yanking her ponytail as he went, "I'll be kind enough to let it go."

She followed him quickly, and he heard her dragging her feet. He head was hung low and she was nibbling on her lower lip, trying not to moan at the thought of what she was about to do. "Well, I…I guess I might care. A little. About what you do if you're going to kill yourself and your reputation. I'm not all buddy buddy with you. I don't care about everything you do. I could mostly care less. I care for you like I care for any kind of Rocket agent. Nothing more, nothing less."

Ash wrinkled his nose. "Can you say it without all the denial?"

She groaned allowed and fell into step with him. "Alright, alright. You're a real pain in the ass but…I'd have to consider you, by definition, a friend."

"Sweet!" He beamed. "I told Pikachu I could get you to say it. So, do you think a lot of people are going to be watching the match or do you think it's going to be a private thing? I think it's going to be all the people who hate me. They'll be watching and hating and it's just going to be really shitty if I lose. I won't lose though. I've got my original team with me. No replacements. Nothing's really evolved but they're pretty strong."

Misty's nails grabbed his shoulders and dug in with a vengeance, seeming absolutely terrified as she leaned close to whisper, "You're fucking with me."

"About what?"

She grabbed his shoulders tighter, making him wiggle at the pain though his shirt. "You are _not _fighting Paul with a team of…of baby pokémon! It's not even bad enough that you haven't evolved Pikachu in to a Raichu but you're…you're fighting with unevolved baby forms! Babyface was the perfect nickname for you and…shit!" She dropped his shoulder and slapped her forehead. "What is _wrong _with you? Why wouldn't you evolve your pokémon?"

"They don't want to," Ash shrugged, rubbing a special spot on the mouse's cheek to get her limber. "Pikachu doesn't want to evolve, because Pikachu just wants to be who he is. He doesn't want to become someone else. Why sacrifice your personality for power? Then, we've got bulbasaur, and I don't know why she doesn't want to evolve. I guess she just doesn't feel like it. Pigeot, now _he _had no problem evolving. Neither did Charizard, but he likes to fry me so I hope it's not six on six because I _really _don't want to use him. Squirtle doesn't want to evolve because he's anti-weapon. He doesn't like the cannons. It's weird. And…oh shit." His eyes went wide. "Snorlax."

"What about Snorlax?" She asked through gritted teeth.

He rubbed the back of his neck self consciously, grinning like an idiot. "I might have accidently forgotten him at my home. I've only got five. Maybe it is a bad idea to fight in this match. It's a sign from the gods."

She closed her eyes, hanging her head and slowly reaching inside her pocket. Her hand slowly came out, shaking a bit. "She's my first, you hear me? My very first. If you…if you mess this up and you hurt her you're dead, Ketchum. I trust you enough that I…Ash, if you don't think you can win this match, don't take this pokémon. But if logically, reasonably, honor in mind, can you honestly tell me that you believe you'll win this battle and you're not sending in my pokémon to be killed?"

"I won't take her if you don't want to."

"Just _tell _me," she urged, turning her blue-green swirled eyes on him. "Just tell me the truth. No lies."

"I think I can win," Ash consoled her. "I think I could win with only five. And if you do give me…?"

"Starmie."

"Starmie," he nodded, running through the pokémon attacks in his mind. "Good pokémon, and if you do give her to me, I promise I will do everything I can to keep her out of battle. If it's up to me, she'll stay in the last notch of my pokebelt and won't even see the field. I'll hide her. If I do have to use her, and at any point I think it's getting out of hand or I can't win, I'll pull out and I'll walk away. She's not mine, and I won't let her faint in battle. That shouldn't be my choice. But Misty, you have to promise me you won't say anything. Don't show any kind of emotion when I'm battling. You've never seen what I do before and you're going to think I'm going to lose. With every pokémon I send out. But I usually win."

Misty nodded slowly, breathing in and out, and if he didn't know her better he might have asked if the glisten in her eyes was restrained tears. "Ash, just take care of her. She the closest thing I've got to a mother and I know it's sentimental and stupid but _please_, just remember that you've got one of the six, no," she paused, "_eight _most important things to me in this whole wide world. It's not a big number of things to hold dear."

He nodded shortly, and they resumed their walk down the hallway. "So, you've got six pokémon, but what are the other two that you hold dear."

She gave a tiny smile behind him, scratching Pikachu under the chin as she leapt to Ash's shoulder. Ash seemed unaware of his pokémon's reason for climbing backwards on his shoulder, but he didn't seem too concerned about it. The girl was nearly touching him, from another angle this time, and he felt her breath on his neck when she said, "Well, Pikachu is number seven and number eight is Butch. And the bell's about to ring for the last period."

He laughed. "You know, with the way you joke I could almost swear that you're proud of killing him."

The giggled turned to shivers, of lust and an almost delicious fear when she held his shoulders, gently this time, and breathing into his ear, "Not of killing him, but of living me. Through the guilt, through the emotion, logic dictates that I should do the same damn thing."

"What about emotions?" He asked, strangled voice barely above the whisper.

"Worse than honor. Emotion can only be used against others, not for one's own gain." She paused, her voice a bit lighter and not nearly as dangerous (or sexy) to his ears. "You're shaking like a hairless glameo under the southern pole. You getting sick, or just nervous for your upcoming fight?"

He swallowed thickly. "Nerves, nerve endings, toe-may-toe, toe-mah-toe. Let's go kick some purple haired ass."

* * *

It was an empty affair, not a single person but Paul anywhere to be seen. The arena was a plain dirt style, nothing fancy, with the traditional white lines on the floor. He wanted to use some of the other arenas, as he had spent a lot of his time playing with the more elaborate battlefields that he didn't get down in the Rebellion. Grass field would be best for him, as that was the kind of field he grew up on, the kind of field his pokémon had practiced on. They'd have a rougher time gripping their paws into the shifting dirt, slide back farther, though his Sand-Attacks would be more effective. Aside from that, well, he hoped his wasn't at too big a disadvantage.

"Scared?" Misty asked, putting her hand to the glass. "I know you don't like this field."

"I'll be fine." He shoved his hands inside his pockets and glanced at her. "How worried are you? You know, do you think I can do it?"

"Never seen you battle before," she returned, drumming her fingers against the glass. "But, I know how you are and I've heard of your Battle IQ. Not to mention some of the kids around here have been gossiping. You're a great trainer, a great battler, and they said you even dabble in contest like moves. That's risky but they're not going to stop you. Well, not unless you try and start contests in this region. But, judging by how I know you, and since apparently your only talent is battling-" Her eyes narrowed teasingly. "-it sure as hell isn't schoolwork, you've got to be extra good at this to balance it all out."

"You scared to come in, Ketchum?" Paul called from the sidelines.

Ash glanced his way and back to Misty, grinning. "You know, part of me wants to stand here and make him wait until he finally freaks out and comes to get me. Isn't that the proper way to have a date? The man's supposed to come all the way up to the door. He doesn't honk or call. That's just impolite. My daddy's going to come out with a shot gun and nail him right between the eyes if he doesn't show the proper respect."

She rolled her eyes with her small, unpracticed smile. "You're a dork. The longer you delay this, the more he'll brag when he wins."

"Hey!" Ash exclaimed, his mouth dropping open. "I thought you said you had confidence in me! I can't pull through this if you don't have confidence! I need your support. Pikachu's supporting me, but he'll be in the battle and battling for my honor! Right, Pikachu?"

(_If you don't stop joking and take yourself seriously, we're going to lose this match. You know how I feel about losing,_) the mouse jumped elegantly through the hole and glared up at him, tail shooting back and forth with anger. (_I will shove a lightning rod up your ass and send every ounce of electricity through my body if you lose a match that doesn't need to be. If he's a good fighter, fine, but if he send out a level two caterpie and you lose because you've got your head up your ass you're getting butt zapped._)

Ash blanched and gulped, taking her very seriously, and Misty smirked. "You know, I absolutely love that pokémon."

"You would," he shot back, walking quickly through the door before it closed. "Listen, Paul, Misty told me you were saying I couldn't handle what was going on. That I fainted. For your information, I was sick, and school was the _last _thing on my mind. A friend of mine told me she had an illegitimate bastard child, thankfully, it was a joke but it still freaked me out and I'm still not sure if she _was _joking. If you take it back, we can drop the whole thing and not have to go through this battle. We'll both keep our dignity."

He nodded. "Alright, I take it back."

Ash grinned. "Awesome."

"I was joking, you retard," Paul snorted, grabbing a ball off his belt and tossing it forward. "Let's just get this started."

The big, teal blue bird appeared to be wearing a fedora hat, the same blue color as the biggest part of its body. A sort of huge, feathery ascot cascaded around its neck and halfway down its feathery chest, and a bright red plume on the underside of its wing set off its appearance perfectly, giving it an angry edge to its dark and deadly appearance. It didn't look overjoyed, with red irises slit. It didn't come out with a joyful cry or an angry scream, but controlled, fatal fury.

"Two birds in one battle," Ash joked, tossing out a pokeball of his own.

His bird was lighter, more natural and elegant in its own way. Its pelt was cream, a earthy color for its torso. A bland brown topped off where the wing connected to its body and went about halfway down the arm, where the cream resumed once more. A long red on the outside yellow on the inside mane like thing fluttered from between its eyes, right above its beak, down to its bright red tail. Black streaks went from its eyes down to its neck in a dangerous war paint. This creature cawed with joy, happy at being released for battle, and flew up in the air, spinning to the top arena before dashing back down and sending up loose dirt from the ground.

"Wait!" Misty cried out, stepping to the side of the arena. She had stripped off her shirt, revealing a one piece bathing suit underneath and using her shirt as a flag. "First things first, how many pokémon are each of you planning on using? Is this a six on six, or a three on three, or even a one on one? Double battle, or single? You need to specify things before you just rush off! Not to mention I'm the referee, something you _need _to have if you're going to determine a winner of a clean battle."

"I don't care," Paul snorted. "A battle's a battle. What are you prepared for?"

Ash glanced at Misty, then back at Paul. "Are you okay with a five on five battle?"

He glared, minimizing the pokeball and tucking it into his belt, taking special notice that Ash's pokeball was not Team Rocket made, but bought in a store. "Go with the rules and regulations, farm boy. It's bad enough you haven't been able to kick that damn accent yet, now you're trying to change the rules. You know what; I have made up my mind. Single battles. Six on six. I don't know about Ash, but I can do a clean battle. I don't need to pull any crap to win. Ash, though, he may pull some dirty trick to win. Do you agree to play fair, Ketchum?"

"I always play fair," Ash growled. "It's six on six, but I'm not going to have to pull out every one to beat you!"

"Calm down, farm boy. It's not like you're fighting for anything important. Just your pride." Paul crossed his arms over his chest and looked him up and down. "Judging by the clothes you're wearing you don't have much pride left. You've got your pokémon outside your pokeball, who doesn't look very impressive, and you're hanging around with _that_. Red haired freak from Arceus knows where. Probably crazy. Probably Eggborn."

"She's not the one on trial here," Ash said through gritted teeth, clenching his fists at his sides. "Why don't you back off, Paul? This argument is between you and me."

"Dropping the accent a bit, very nice," Paul smirked. "And I don't see why it shouldn't involve her. I'd battle her if she was smart enough to own a pokémon. You can cover her too if you want. Battle for her sake and yours. I don't care. As long as I get my battle. I'm about to go on my first mission and I could use a good warm up."

"Take it back, Paul," the boy continued to snarl. Pigeot began to flap its wings, feeling its master's rage along with Pikachu, who began to spark at the cheeks and growl threateningly. "If you don't take it back, I'm going to-"

"She's a stupid, redheaded, genetic mess. She's a waste of flesh they should have killed when they had the chance. She's basically useless, and they keep her around to calm the people and try to prove Team Rocket has a heart, when we're really only concerned with what matters: power. She's not strong or smart. In fact, she's a lot like you." His smirk grew wider and he let himself chuckle. "You know, I'd go after you but you don't seem like the kind of guy who cares about that. You're the kind who defends his friend with his dying breath. Sweet, poetic kind of thing, but completely pointless in real life. So, why don't you stop acting so sentimental and act like an agent. Your sentimentality is one of the reasons I'm sure I'll win this battle. That, and it's pretty easy to get you mad. All I have to do is make you see the glassiness in those pretty eyes."

As Ash's temper flared, Misty snapped at him. "I've heard worse, you moron. He barely cusses! I get plenty of bad stuff all the time. Most of it was while you were unconscious and it was pretty insulting. I don't _care _what people think. Don't fight for my honor, because I'm not the kind of person who can lose it with a few cutting words! My honor is based on standing up for what I believe in. It's holding to my own set of moral codes, and doing what's right _despite _what they say. _That's _how I keep my honor, and that's why I think it's pointless to fight for yours. But you're here, and you can't run away. So fight for yours, because you need this. I don't. Pikachu told me what your mom did, and you know what I say to that? I think you knew, deep down, and you screwed around. Well you're on your own no! Step up to the plate and _take care of yourself_."

He looked at her, then back to the battlefield, and considered her words. Because, perhaps, she never had a reputation to start with. Her honor wasn't in what they said, but what she did. Maybe because her honor could only lie in her beliefs, her intelligence, because that was all he had. But he had battling, something he held over everything else. A battle was what he was, all his goals and dreams, his spirit, his fire. He wondered if she got that. He wondered if Paul understood, or Pikachu, or any of his pokémon.

Ash Ketchum was fighting for his reputation, his good name, his faith and his honesty to never cheat, to be fair, to take care of all his friends, whether they were human or pokémon.

Yes, as he listened to Misty cry out for the match to begin, he was ready to fight for his honor.

* * *

I figured it'd be much to long if I went into the battle, so there you go…I'm also afraid to attempt and right my first real length battle. Wish me luck!


	11. Action

_**Action**_

"Pigeot, let's take this battle to the sky!"

Pigeot shot into the air, and instinct commanded Honchkrow to do the same. And instinct was where the problem started, as neither bird knew any further way to attack, feeling no hostility towards the other and only awaiting their masters' commands, they could only circle one another and keep out a close eye in case the other attacked. Their attention focused on their trainers, both looking up, and neither wanting to make the first move. Paul didn't because he knew the typical law of whoever attacked first often lost. Ash was unable to attack because he wasn't sure _what _he was allowed to do. Half way through his first command of taking the battle to the sky, he realized that some of his Kanto pokémon's attacks might not be lawful; something that changed when Paul's eyes met his across the battle arena, icy smooth, a stone cold stare that made his temper leap up and blot out the good intentions. He _wanted _to win. He _needed _to win.

He took the gamble and attacked first.

"Let's start this out with a Quick Attack!" Ash called up, his fists clenching at his sides.

Paul smirked at his mistake. "Honchkrow, dodge and think up a Nasty Plot."

Honchkrow wasn't overly agile, Pigeot had nearly double its speed. Perhaps Paul had miscalculated the distance or forgotten his stats, or maybe Ash's Pigeot had been trained better than previously thought, but whatever the case Pigeot managed to glance the creature's wing. It cried once and flapped wildly, trying to regain its lost balance but spiraling towards the ground. Pigeot closed in, hearing another attack called out from Ash, a Tackle. A dive in from the top caused the thing to cry out again, and the blow to the ground didn't help its condition.

But it was fine.

A few bumps and scratches, but not too bad for the blow. It shot up into the air, an angry fire in its eyes. Its wings flapped madly and it screamed at Pigeot, at first nothing but nonsense but soon harsh, angry words that caused Ash's face to tint. The bird continued its rant, having been a long time since it last took a hard blow. It ignored its master calling out to it, telling it to shut up and go back to the battle.

Ash took advantage of the situation, recovering from his embarrassment quickly. "Pigeot, use Twister!"

The winds whipped up, and the angry creature was caught in the winds, unable to break free but could only flap as it was tossed around the room, getting dizzy and nauseous, body taking little hits from the strength of the wind. The three people on the ground shielded their eyes, doing their best to keep their sight on the battle. The wind cleared a few moments later, with Honchkrow slamming into the wall and crumpling, eyes closed and body still.

For a moment, Misty was unable to breathe, gawking and taking in deep, excited and nervous breaths. No one had beaten Paul, not that she had heard of, in _ages_. And here, her little friend babyface, managed to knock out the first pokémon without a scratch on his own. Her arm went limp at her side, and the shirt she should have been waving to signal the battle's end acted like an old dishrag, slipping to the dust.

Ash startled her from her thoughts. "Misty? Misty! Don't you want to call it or do you think there's a chance it'll still get up and fight? Paul can't return his pokémon until you say it's a KO and I want to get this battle moving!"

"Oh, um, sorry." She blinked rapidly. "Honchkrow is unable to battle. A perfect victory goes to Ash Ketchum. The challenger, Paul, can now return his pokémon and send out another, or, if he wishes, to withdraw from the battle. Due to its significant loss, Honchkrow should be placed in a recycle bin to be given to a less experienced trainer."

"I'll send out another," Paul snapped, recalling the pokémon. He tossed the ball absently over his shoulder, letting it bounce off the wall and roll around the ground. "It seems like I've underestimated you, Ketchum. That was my fault. I lost control of Honchkrow. It was my newest pokémon, so you don't need to worry. Your other matches won't be nearly as easy. The rest are ones I've been with for quite a while, and _they _know how to keep themselves under control."

There went another pokeball, clicking open and returning to his hand in no time at all. The creature look like a hybrid between a scorpion and a bat, if either creature were metal of metal. It had monstrous crab claws, four metal balls that connected to a large steel pincher bug (earwigs) like tail. Large, metal batwings spread from its metal, two spiked chest, and swooped down to its tiny feet, suitable not for kicking or attacking, and barely for landing. Bat like fangs crept from the corners of its mouth, yellow, machine like eyes glinting. This was more menacing than the bird, seeming to be in a permanently angry state and eager for the sweat and blood of battle.

"I have to warn you, Ash," Paul said, his lips twisting up into a wicked grin. "Those teeth aren't made for snacking. This isn't a _real_ battle Ash. Your pokémon _will _get broken, bruised and bloody. I suggest you fight with all you've got. Unless, of course, you like your pokémon in corpses."

"Better not kill them now," Misty growled. "I know what your intent was and you can't write it off as an accident."

"And who's going to believe you?" He returned. "It's your word over mine. I think I'll win. Gliscor, Thunder Fang! Aim right for the heart!" He smirked at the startled Ash across the arena. "With that kind of voltage heading straight on through the skin and right into the heart, your Pigeot might get off with barely feeling the pain before it croaks."

Gliscor leapt up, jaws spread with sparks tumbling around inside its mouth. Pigeot screamed and instinctively flew up higher, succeeding only in half dodging and getting the blow on its leg. The electricity went through its system, and the bird screamed. Gliscor dug its teeth in deep, drawling little trickles of blood from the talon. It closed its bat wings and dropped from the sky, dragging the bird along with it so they crashed into the dirt once again.

"If you want to play dirty I've got no choice!" Ash shouted. "Pigeot, if you can move scratch your talons inside its mouth! That'll make it let go! And if that doesn't work, use your free foot to Slash its face! Make sure you keep yourself safe, it's not about a fair battle! We've got a crazy on our hands."

"A crazy?" He snorted. "Sure, Ketchum, I'm a crazy! And you're-"

They were brought back to the battle by Gliscor's scream. Apparently unable to act on its own, its teeth continued to clench around the legs while the bird clawed at its throat and face, fluttering its wings in a Sand-Attack to knock up dust into its eyes. Its face scrunched up tight, obviously in pain but unwilling to back down without being given the command.

"Gliscor, let go, you stupid beast!" Paul shouted, watching his pokémon scramble away. "You could have at least used Harden! Use your Poison Jab instead."

Pigeot looked up, its wounded leg dangling above the ground, the bird perilously balanced on the other. It rushed forward, mouth wide open to rip the poor thing to shreds. But both Ash and Pigeot saw through the illusion, though the mouth was wide, there was no glow or sign of an attack. It was the tail that glowed purple, the tail that was preparing to flash forward and stab through the soft feathers and thing skin to the bloodstream beneath. There was a one hundred percent chance of poison in this one.

"Get up in the air and be sure to dodge its tail! That's where its keeping the poison!" Ash called. "Use your Wing Attack if its close enough!"

It shot forward, angling itself into the air. The tail missed, but so did Pigeot's wing. Both glided past each other. Pigeot turned in the air, coming back for a second chance at a hit. Though, as it closed in, Paul called out for an attack, an Ice Fang that grabbed the wing that dealt the blow. The wing froze, and Ash shouted for a Mirror Move, the beak slamming into Gliscor's chest before finally whipping over, its momentum carrying it skidding into the ground and knocking it out.

Ash reached for his pokeball, to return it, but Misty's voice made him freeze. "Ash! You are _not _permitted to bring your pokémon in until I've said." She turned back to face the center of the arena, eyes unfocused on the scene in front of her. "Pigeot is unable to battle. Victory goes to Paul…whatever the hell his last name is. The challenger, Ash, can now return his pokémon and send out another, or, if he wishes, to withdraw from the battle."

"Squirtle, I choose you!"

And out came the little, happy turtle. Shielded inside its pokeball, it had been unaware that it was facing Gliscor, the emotionless creature guided by the hands of a bloodthirsty trainer. No, this little one smiled. He was a blue green color, rounded head, with big brown eyes that matched his big brown shell. The underside was a lighter color, tan, and there was a dash of white that circles around the outside, and a tail that curled stretched just beyond its shell's end.

"Squirtle, it's not a normal battle," Ash said stonily. "He's…look out!"

The little turtle was hit into the ground by a Quick Attack, leaving Paul to snicker and Ash to glare. In a second the turtle was up, cheerful demeanor gone and glaring at his new foe. Ash called out a command for a water pulse, and Squirtle hit dead on. While its speed and attack may have lacked, aim was something the pokémon could be guaranteed for. Never was a hit off center, every one a bulls eye. That was good enough to send Gliscor back a few paces, and before it could attack again, Squirtle followed up with a crushing Aqua Tail, that wiped out the pokémon entirely, leaving it unconscious on the dirt floor.

"Gliscor is unable to battle. Victory goes to Ash Ketchum. The pretender, Paul, can now return his pokémon and send out another, or, if he's got half a brain under his emo purple lock, withdraw from the battle and crawl home with his big puppy tail between his neutered legs."

He glared. "You know, Ketchum, I'm beginning to think our judge has a bias."

"I'm beginning to see why," Ash retorted, leveling a stony gaze in Paul's direction. "Want to keep the battle going? I don't have all day. I'm a very busy guy."

"Growing crops?" He snorted, withdrawing his pokémon and reaching for another.

The pokeball clattered against the floor, opening to reveal the massive creature. Four, thick legs appeared to be tree trunk with three white rocks on the bottom of each for toes. Its face was not nearly as pleasant as the other turtle it faced, pointed and fierce, much like a real turtle. Green armor sat upon its pointy, angry head and read eyes glared from under it. White spikes jutted out from either side of its head. Three pointed rocks sat on its right side of its back, while a small tree sat on its left. A white rim separated the shell from the body, and a short, fat tail, brown on the bottom, green on the top, wagged slowly.

Ash's retort to this was reasonable. He recalled Squirtle, and released his Charizard.

This was a proud creature, coming out with a wild, screaming roar that caused both Paul and Misty to flinch, having never seen one of these near outlawed Kanto creatures before. Its body was orange with a tan spot that stretched on its belly down under its tail to the very tip, where a yellow and red flame burned brightly. Big, blue wings were tipped with orange and big feet looked only usefully for providing the beast with a thing to land on. Small arms seemed relatively pointless too, with three clawed fingers on its two hands. A long neck led to a dragon-like head, with two orange horn jutting out from the back, dangerous blue eyes, and a horrific mouth of glistening white teeth.

"Flamethrower!" Ash cried triumphantly.

The beast sent out a roaring, wild flame that burned on and on and on, while Misty and Paul shaded their faces from the heat, and Torterra promptly fainted, limp and little tree on its back still burning with not even a low moan to its name. It was a perfect, quick victory, which would have been much more triumphant if Charizard at that moment hadn't curled up and fallen asleep, deciding that its time for battle was over.

"What was that?" Paul cried indignantly. "He can't do that!"

Misty rubbed her temples. "Did we _call _no substitutions?"

"I can't remember but he can't _do _that!" The boy stomped his foot, looking very out of character and pouting. "He can't just bring out a pokémon like that! He's not even allowed to use it! That's not a Team Rocket issued Charizard and it's not in the proper ball so he can't use it! He can't do whatever he just did! He's supposed to fight until they're knocked out! That's cheating! I mean…what the hell was that!"

The girl pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes scrunching up tight. "Dammit, Ash, you can't substitute."

"But you never called it!" He protested.

"Alright! Fuck!" She glared at the two boys. "It's not like it's your first battle, either of you! Grow up a little! Ash, you can't use Charizard or substitute anymore. Put it away and bring out Squirtle. I'm sorry, but we're calling it now since I'm afraid Paul is going to cry about how you cheated and I don't want hit anyone else in the face. Don't try to do that to type trump. I don't know where you learned that, probably street fighting, which is _illegal,_ babyface,and it isn't tolerated here."

"That's retarded."

"Just put the damn thing away," she snapped.

Ash did as he was told and released his Squirtle, and though both the boys were still pouting, the battle started up again as Paul released his.

This was a much more fearsome pokémon. Whereas Torterra just seemed to be pissed off at the world, Ursaring looked out of control. He was a bear, no other way to put it. He stood upright, and there were weird tufts of fur on his shoulder, but a normal bear it what he appeared to be. The only big clue was the ring of tan on its chest, perhaps something that came with the extra strength and new class of 'pokémon', the bear had evolved into this much more fearsome creature.

"Huh, that's from Kanto," Ash remarked calmly. "That's weird. None of you pokémon have been from around here. I'd figure a fancy guy like you got them all imported."

"Shoot yourself in the face," he snarled. "Ursaring, Sweet Scent!"

"You're an asshole," Ash muttered crossly, hoping the boy wouldn't see him scowl. "Squirtle, use Bite!"

Sure enough, the pokémon raced forward, but halfway there it began to wobble, its eyes blinked rapidly and it stumbled around the arena looking confused. Its trainer called out to it, but a lovely, sweet scent was drifting across its nose and its couldn't really focus. It felt a blow to its shell, and then they began at its face and body. More and more, a Fury Swipes attack, but the Sweet Scent continued, and in its high state, it didn't really care much. In fact, passing out was only an irritation because he couldn't much smell the aroma anymore, and was instead forced to surrender to the empty blackness that stretched out in front of him.

"Squirtle's out, and by the looks of it, Ash hasn't had his injection yet," Paul smirked. "Feeling a little out of it, country boy?"

"Shut it, Paul," Misty snapped, inwardly cursing.

No, Ash hadn't had his shot, and hers hadn't worked quite so well. She supposed it was the influence of the pills that day, as none of the injections she had gotten on pill days had worked. As long as she was fresh, no sickness, no nothing, but on a pill day…effects of things lingered. Her tongue slid in her mouth, feeling thick and heavy. Words still managed to function, as did her mind, but in a tired way that made her more cranky than a joyful delirium that Ash was in. Not as if she was high, but like she was coming down from one, or had a hangover from a wild night a drinking.

She stomped up to him, putting her hands on his cheeks and forcing him to face her. "Now, Ash, if you haven't got the injection the _best _way, the _only _way to override it is get a really strong emotion. Emotions have a tendency to released chemicals into your system. Most of these can counteract the Sweet Scent, which basically sends out happy chemicals from your brain. Your need to get mad or sad or horny. Can you do any of those lovely things for me?"

"Dunno." He shrugged, grinning stupidly.

"You're a worthless, good for nothing Eggborn and I hope you burn in hell you selfish, selfish asshole. It was good that your father died, probably committed suicide to get away from you and your ugly as hell mother. I haven't met her, but I'm guessing anything that spawned you can't be pretty. Your dad probably wasn't much better. I wonder if that pregnant whore Dawn is any hotter? Probably not. Had to pay Kenny to knock her up, didn't she?"

His delirious grin faded swiftly, and he glared. "Misty, what the fuck?"

"You angry?"

"No, I'm complimented you just ripped on me, my friends, and my family. Even my dad! Haven't you heard of respect for the dead?"

"Stay pissed Ash, I meant every word. You need to stay angry to focus, at least until you knock out Smoky the Bear. I would really, really enjoy a forest fire right about now. Please kill that stupid, stupid, creature so I can move on with my life and never have to be this close to you again." She smacked his face lightly, hoping to make his vision just a little more clearer and letting herself grab at a little of his contagious furry too.

She strode back to her spot, in the center of the arena, and called out the match again. "Squirtle is unable to battle. Victory goes to the dickhead Paul Nobody-Fucking-Cares-What-His-Last-Name-Is-Because-He's-A-Total-Dickhead-Paul. The challenger Ash Ketchum can use his next pokémon or withdraw from the battle. The easy thing to do is kick the dickhead Paul's ass for being a total dickhead."

"Real mature," he snapped. "Aren't you older than me?"

"I'm older than your mother," Misty growled, examining her nails. "Not to say that's a feat, her having you at such a young age and all, unlawfully, with some man who was later assassinated and leaving you to be an annoying dickhead who's only in Team Rocket because your mom was quite possibly one of the best agents that ever lived. Ever feel like you're just trying to fill in her shoes, Paul? I bet you do. I bet it sucks."

"How do you know that?" He asked, confusion flashing through the anger.

"I read your file, duh. I can go wherever the hell I want." She waved her outstretched palm at him. "Fingers registered without a rank. I'm at Giovanni's level. It's a fault in the program. I've brought it up with my superiors before but they never really seem to care. Ash, do you want to get on with the battle? Sweet Scent gives me a headache if it goes on for too long. I can already feel it's starting and I don't want to argue with someone while I've got a headache. It makes me bitchy."

Paul snorted. "Too late."

Ash took the moment to release a pokémon of his own. This one was a bulbasaur. Four squat legs were teal, blotched with a much darker greenish blue. The small monster had a bulb on its back, hence the name bulbasaur, which was a light, earth green. Its eyes were triangles, tipped so the points faces it slits for nose, and a bright red. Its head was round, but a bit squished flat on top, and green, tiny ears stood up, barely visible at the top of its head.

"Poisonpowder!" Ash shouted, wasting no time in diving head first into the battle.

A stream of purple powder soared through the air twirling around the Ursaring and making him cough. The creature winced, backing off and waving its meaty paws in front of its face. Another cry from Ash, and leech seed was released, urging yet another roar from the creature as vines wrapped tight around its body and glowed with a vicious red energy. In return, Paul yelled at it to Slash away the vines to set itself free, regardless of the fact that the seeds would stay in until Nurse Joy came to yank them out. This was swiftly finished up with a Faint Attack, making Bulbasaur tumble away and yelp with pain.

"Ursaring, grab it and toss it out of the arena while it's down!" Paul snapped vengefully.

"No! Bulbasaur, use your vines to hold it still!" Ash returned, and once Bulbasaur did so he continued, "Slam it into the ground with your vines, as many times as it takes!"

The pokémon shifted uneasily for a moment, not liking the 'playing dirty' scenario both battlers were practicing. But it followed the command, wincing as it began to slam the bear into the earth again and again. It was during this dirty playing when the bear stopped its Sweet Scent, Ash's senses swirled back to their proper place, and he noticed the pain the bear was obviously in. It made him want to throw up. Again.

"Wait! _Wait!_" He cried out, rushing forward into the arena and wrapped his arms around his monster. The bear was left hanging in midair, Bulbasaur's vines still wrapped around him and clutching his bruised body tight. "Don't! The fight's over and…I can't stand to play dirty anymore. He's got all the fight out of him, even if he isn't out. We can't keep doing this. If we're going to win, we're going to play fair. Unlike him."

Paul smirked. "Can we disqualify him for leaving the box?"

"What kind of street rules _trained _you, Ketchum?" Misty asked firmly, glaring. "Honestly, the shit you're doing! It's like you've never had a legitimate battle in your entire life! Where'd you learn to fight, in the alleys of Pewter? Dammit, Ash! You've got a farm boy accent and a street way of fighting! What the _hell _is you past like? I can't even take off for it, Paul! Its not in the damn rulebook! No one's ever been stupid enough to run out onto the field! Do you understand me Ketchum? You are breaking entire new boundaries of stupid! Do you get that? You're basically the dumbest person to ever live! You're so stupid we don't have rules for you!"

He grinned, patting his pokémon on the head and returning to his spot. "Well, that's an accomplishment, sort of."

"No, it's not," she glared, crossing her arms. "Paul, just call out your next pokémon."

"Magmar, let's finish this beast."

He tossed out a ball to reveal his next pokémon. This was a fearsome fire type. It stood upright like most of its counterparts before it, red feet connected two its body with short, black legs and big, yellow, round joints. Its body was round, the lower half yellow and making flickering flame like patterns as it worked its way up to the red. Two more yellow orbs connected to the red garlic clove kind of arms, red palms having five, white claws. Its head was rounded, two spouts of fire burning on the type of its head. Its eyes were small, directly over a duckbill. A long yellow tail turned red with flame at the end.

"Looks like the roles have switched, Ash," Paul snickered. "See, I've got the type trump now. You've got a first stage grass type, and I've got a final stage fire type. Who do you think will win? I've got my bets on Magmar, and I only gamble on sure things."

"No such thing as a sure thing, Paul," Ash laughed. "We've been up against worse odds, haven't we Bulbasaur?" The monster gave a gravelly, merry reply from its spot. "We've beaten bigger villains. You're not scaring us off so easily. Bulbasaur, let's start out with a Vine Whip!"

The creature did so, yanking back when the attack hurt it more than it did the pokémon before it. Magmar returned it with a Confuse Ray, bright white light shooting forward to twirl around the Bulbasaur, making him spin in a circle and loose his sense of self. It wandered in a circle, wandering back and forth, ignoring Ash's command to dodge the Flamethrower roaring towards it. The flame licked along Bulbasaur, not making it roar, but instead make its legs give out, not unconscious, but confused with pain and rays and the whole thought of battle. The confusion refused to wear off, not until Magmar closed in with another fire attack.

"Finish it off with a Fire Punch!" Paul cried, clenching his fists.

"Come on, Bulbasaur! Snap out of it! Dodge!"

Maybe it heard, and maybe it didn't, but it did manage to wobble out of the way of the attack, only getting a portion of the attack glancing off its side. This seemed to mostly snap it out of its confusion, and it retaliated with a Seed Bomb. Large seeds shot from its bulb, slamming into the Magmar and fending it off. It added a Synthesis, a surprisingly well worked Synthesis, that cured it of every wound it had acquired. When the bright, green light had vanished, Paul and Misty gaped at it, wondering what had happened.

"What was _that_?" Paul asked.

"A Synthesis attack, defensive move," Ash beamed. "And I think I know why it worked so well! Magmar's made up of the same energy as the sun, but in a much, much lower amount. So, whenever you send out your Magmar, it's like someone had use the attack Sunny Day! That means Synthesis cures Bulbasaur completely! That's why I was so cocky when you brought out Magmar. Even though it's got the type advantage, Bulbasaur is way more powerful than before. The playing field is practically even! Instead of just rolling over when faced like a type trump like you, Paul, I'm going to stand up and fight!"

Paul was fed up by this time, tightening his jaw and shouting out a final command, "Magmar, one more Flamethrower! As powerful as you can get it!"

The fire began to rage, shooting forward in a deadly flume, which Bulbasaur ran to avoid. Ash cried out his final attack as well, a Solar Beam. Normally, in this situation this was a horrible mistake. Misty winced at the order and Paul grinned, a wild, crazy grin that urged him to push Magmar to its limits, the Flamethrower growing until it had a foot long radius. It shocked them both when, just a second later, Bulbasaur had spun and shot an amazingly powerful beam of light into Magmar, knocking the creature far outside the ring and slamming it against the very glass Ash and Misty had walked through not too earlier. It too slumped, now unconscious from the dangerous attack.

Ash smirked as Paul recalled his pokémon. "I figured, since Synthesis worked so well, why wouldn't Solar Beam? And it did! It fixed it up in no time at all! So, I'll use another Syn-"

"You can't," she sighed again. "That _is _a rule. You can't use a recovery move more than once. It keeps the battles from going on for too long. If you sue that again you'll be disqualified. I'm sorry Ash, but I can't do anything about that. You can use it as many times as you want in the field, but rules are rules. You can't use it again. You _can _change pokémon now, if you want. You've got the option. Would you like to?"

"No," Ash said firmly. "I'm not risking having to use more pokémon than I need to."

"Suit yourself."

Out came the next pokeball, a Weavile snarling on the floor. This pokémon had a blue body, standing upright with three white claws on each foot digging into the dirt. Its two arms stretched into three much longer, deadlier claws than what lay on its foot. On its spiky head, a golden oval sat in the center of its forehead, eyes a glaring read. Its pink, feathered tail fluttered behind it, and a headdress of pink stood, curving above its head. Little feathers hung off the sides, about where its ears should have been, looking like some strange, exotic jewelry.

"You can attack first, if you'd like," Paul smirked. "It's not pa problem with me, you see, I figure since this is one of my strongest pokémon, and you can't win without your cheap tricks and Magmar out here, I'll let you take the first hit. What do you say, Ash, man enough to do it twice?"

"Alright," Ash said, wondering what trap he was falling into. "Bulbasaur, use Growl."

Misty winced on the sidelines, wishing she could stand behind him, cheering him on instead of having to be the impartial judge, though she wasn't too impartial, her callings were. Perhaps it was because there were so many rules broken it was impossible to catch them all. Still, she knew very well what Paul's favorite attack was with this pokémon, a trap that Ash fell right into, hook, line and sinker.

"Weavile, use Taunt," Paul commanded, looking much happier than he had now than at any point during the battle. Perhaps it was the trap Ash fell into, but it was more suspected that he was overjoyed to be using one of his favorites. This one was handed down from his mother. This pokémon had never been taken away from him, and didn't appear to ever be ripped away from him, not anytime soon with the way it performed.

"Taunt?" Ash asked, turning to Misty as the Weavile began to mock his pokémon. "What's that do?"

"It means your pokémon can't do any harm to his," she sighed. "You can only use an attack, like Growl, that isn't going to hurt Weavile. It should only last for two turns."

The Weavile gave a happy snarl and raced forward, grabbing the pokémon's bulb and leaving it no chance to escape. Slowly ice began to form around its glowing claws, making the Bulbasaur scream, the poor creature only able to Growl and slow the effect of the ever crawling ice. When it was frozen solid, the creature cackled and picked up the Bulbasaur, Flinging it out of the ring and aiming it towards Misty, the girl barely managing to duck as it whizzed past her.

"Hey! You want points taken off for aiming at the ref, asshole?" Misty snarled, holding up a threatening fist and shaking it at him.

"Wasn't me, genius," he snorted. "Weavile did it all by itself, didn't you, you sick little bastard? I gave it the TM for Ice Beam."

It snarled again, a cackling sound. There was a theory that stated all pokémon were kind, caring, loving creatures that wished no ill will, that they only followed their trainer's command. Misty had discovered this to be untrue. Perhaps all pokémon were born sweet, but she'd seen plenty that warped over the years. A creature that might have been taken into a basement, someplace Misty instinctively kept away from, and the mere thought of which made her stomach twist and face cringe. Weavile was one of these pokémon, that enjoyed not just the suffering of others, but pain to itself as well. He seemed to cast out a wicked aura, there was an air about it that her want to run from the room.

"Ash, bring out your next pokémon," Misty told him, hearing her voice tremble with restraint. She watched Pikachu come out unbidden, knowing it was her turn to shine and take down the creepy creature before her.

"His _last _pokémon," Paul corrected with a chuckle.

She glared. "Don't talk about what you don't know. It's not his last pokémon! He's got another one on him, I know he does! I've seen it!"

"No," Ash shook his head. "Misty, it's my last pokémon. Paul, if you knock out Pikachu, you've won. You're on your last, and I'm on my last. I only have five pokémon on me, so I can't take you in a six on six battle. But I can beat you in a six on five, and I will. I don't care what sick, disturbed pokémon you've got, and if I was you, I'd take that pokémon to Nurse Joy. There's something wrong with it, and it needs to be fixed. You shouldn't even be fighting with it if it's this crazy! Just look at your pokémon Paul, can't you at least _feel _what's wrong with it?"

"There's nothing wrong with it," Paul defended. "You're just jealous because you've finally seen a pokémon with real strength! Weavile, go grab Pikachu! Ice Beam the little rat again! We'll show this farm boy what real power is, how to be a real Rocket agent! If he's just going to faint any time he gets stressed out someone's going to have to whip him into shape, might as well be me! You ready for some pain, Ash?"

"Not quite yet, Paul," Ash grinned. "Pikachu's pretty fast, and she works pretty well on her own! Agility and Double Team! Let's see if Weavile can grab the right one!"

No one noticed Misty's eyes widen at 'she'.

Pikachu darted back and forth, easily escaping the Weavile's clawing hands. In no time Pikachu was just far enough begin running circles around the baffled pokémon. She used Double Team as she went. Several pikachus were running around it now, making it spin around with a frowning face and it tried to figure out which one was which. It dived for one, disappointed when the creature disappeared through its fingers, and the clones began to leap over him and turn the other way, making a bigger circle around the Weavile as she began to charge up for a powerful Thundershock. Ash seemed to be staying out of her way, and she was grateful for that. She wasn't much in the listening mood.

The beast in front of her was messing with her senses. The flare of evil, the sickness that flamed around it blocked out plenty, seeming to trap her inside her own mind. Her head seemed light, hazy, and the world was fogged around her with all her senses: all she could see and smell and hear was the wicked creature in front of her, all she could taste was the fear in her mouth, and all she could feel was the dirt under her feet.

She stopped and released it, sending a powerful stream of electricity through its skinny body. Unlike other pokémon, the weak who screamed and fainted, the strong or ground types that brushed it off. This one was different. Weavile tossed its head back and laughed, rolling on the floor like the electricity tickled instead of burned until all the electricity faded away. When it stood p, it was twitching slightly, remains of electricity still flowing through his system and activating muscles that should have stayed still. But one thing never changed. That wild, killer smile never so much as twitched and seemed to be the only part of its body unable to move.

"Pikapi," she said nervously, backing away from the pokémon with her body low to the ground. Her tail automatically drooped perpendicular to the ground, her ears fell back and hair raised on the back of her neck, doing the best to make herself look bigger than she really was. And when Ash gave her another command, teeth flashed in a dangerous snarl, eager to knock some sense into the terrifying creature before her.

_Play fair._

She wasn't sure whether Ash had stated it now or if it was a memory from the talk Ash gave to Bulbasaur, but she was sure that, at some point, Ash had made it very clear that they would play fair…even when faced with a snarling, crazy monster who looked overjoyed to rip her stomach open and eat her organs, but she always did have an overactive imagination. So she went back to agility, scampering around the arena and building up the stat.

She cursed herself when she dived too close to Weavile and the creature used Night Slash, a ribbon of pain sliding down her side where the sharp claws met, not bleeding, but certainly bruising the tender skin beneath the fur and the bones beneath that. Now, as she spun to face him, she winced. The pokémon was a better battler than its master, that or very lucky. Turning burned now, bending the bruised bone and muscles in ways it would rather not go. Running circles around it was definitely a no go.

Thankfully, Ash noticed, and commanded her to back away. She did, farther and farther, the Weavile's eyes lighting up, thinking he had her on the run now. A moment later, she rushed forward with a powerful Slam attack before hurrying on her way to the other side of the ring, glaring at the purple haired boy behind her for putting her through this.

Thankfully, the attack seemed to knock the wind out of the crazy dark/ice type. It was on its knees, bent over, mouth open to laugh but unable to catch its breath to do so.

But it wasn't done yet. The wind turned chill and a sharp breeze whipped up, with little needle like ice shards smacking not only her, but Paul as well. The boy behind her shielded his face and cringed, muttering ferociously about an "Icy Wind attack".

She called out to Ash again, wondering what kind of pokémon would attack its trainer. Her heart raced in a terrified pace as the creature smiled at her through the snowier and snowier arena, slowly walking towards her like a serial killer in a horror movie, the only thing missing was a chainsaw, buzzing and flashing in its hands. A Quick Attack might have knocked her out of the arena, had she not grabbed a skinny arm in her mouth and bit, not to bruise or bleed, but to hang on.

Ash called on her to use a Thunderbolt, since he was already so close, and she did, tuning out the creature's crazy laughter and zapping until the Icy Wind had stopped, and she ran back to Ash, wincing a bit at the pain in her side. She guessed it helped that Ash promised to take her to Nurse Joy, _their _Nurse Joy, once they were done with the battle.

"We can finish it with a Volt Tackle," Ash whispered, lips barely moving as Paul began to rage at the crazy pokémon on the floor. "Can you handle that, or are you too hurt?"

She thought she said something about giving her a minute, though it was quickly discovered that she didn't _have _a minute, as Paul commanded a Taunt attack. The Weavile looked baffled, crazy grin looking a little confused as it glanced around the room, taking particular delight in a corner that no one was in, laughing and clapping its hands at the empty space. It pointed and beamed at Paul, somehow seeming to hope that its master would get the same pleasure, but its plan failed, and it was rewarded with a slap to the back of the head and a command of Taunt once more.

"Don't look," Ash told Pikachu fiercely. "You can't fall for the taunt if you don't look."

So she didn't.

She glared at the ground, curling and uncurling her toes. She wanted to look, oh how she wanted to when it made a taunting noise, but she continued to look down fiercely, storing up electricity and preparing for the deadly attack. She didn't lose her concentration, not even when it Screeched from across the room. No, she looked up only once she was running and there was no way to stop the attack. She ignored the pain that spiked with every step, and she rammed into him full force, sending the crazy pokémon into its nasty trainer and knocking them both out. Feeling accomplished she smirked.

"Good job, Pikachu!" Ash shouted, opening his arms for her to run to him.

"Good job, sweetheart," Misty agreed, patting her head as she ran past, kneeling down and beginning to check the pokémon and the trainer's stats.

The two ran together and began to celebrate, telling the pokémon in their pokeballs they had won, releasing Charizard and getting toasted, all in good humor. Misty sat and checked the Weavile's pulse, steady and calm. She checked for bruises, injuries, anything severe enough that would need a nurse, but there were none. The pokémon was fine. So, unconsciousness but _still _emanating the haze of evil that made her nauseous, she put it inside its pokeball and rolled it towards the wall, satisfied only when all nasty feelings had gone away.

Then she turned to Paul, who appeared to be much in the same state: uninjured, just unconscious, though the unconscious part didn't last for long. He sat up quickly and looked around, nearly knocking their heads together with the sudden movement.

"You were knocked unconscious. I'm going to ask you a few questions to see if you have a concussion, alright?" He nodded. She showed him the grin she stole from Ash, which gently changed into her own. "That wasn't the first question. I want to know: what your name is, where are you, what were you just doing, how many pokémon are you allowed to carry at one time, who is the leader of Team Rocket, and how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

"Paul, battle arena, fighting Ash, six, Giovanni, and…" His face wrinkled in confusion. "Hell, I don't know."

Her grin widened. "It's a tongue twister. You're fine, don't worry. You may want to see Nurse Joy, though. Nothing urgent, but you did get all your pokémon knocked out so you're going to want to get them healed as soon as possible. And, in case you have forgotten, he beat you fair and square you cheating bastard. He didn't do a damn thing that wasn't in self defense and he barely injured your pokémon despite what that crazy thing was doing. He kicked your ass and he kicked it good. You ought to apologize."

He ripped away and went to run, but she was faster, rounding on him and snatching his wrist. "I said you ought to _apologize. _That wasn't a request, dipshit, it was an _order._"

"You're fast," he murmured absently, ripping his wrist away. "Still a fucking crazy."

"I don't care what you call me," she snapped, "but that guy over there is treating me better than anyone else has in a long time. If I didn't know any better, I'd even dare to call him a friend. But when it comes down to it, he's done me a damn big favor by keeping his mouth closed about something he shouldn't, something that would really boost his rep around here, so the least I can do to repay him is get you to say you're sorry."

"Hey, Farm Boy!" Paul called, looking at the still celebrating boy. "Sorry."

"For _what_?" Misty growled behind him.

"I'm sorry for ruining your reputation around here. You're obviously a lot stronger than we thought. If nothing else, you know how to battle. Still doesn't change you're a wimp and you're not cut out to be a Rocket, but you can battle. You and your farm boy accent."

Ash cuddled Pikachu close, beaming at the boy's back as he walked through the glass, "And you sound like a thirty year old man, Paul. Lay off the strength building drugs. The side effects are nasty. Bye, Paul! Hope you learned a lesson about battling! I know you can hear me through the glass! Even in the elevator! Just remember who beat who!"

He was still grinning like a moron when she came up to him, looking more curious than excited. "So, that was a pretty instinctual battle style. Been a long time since I've seen that." She smiled. "Looked like something right out Satoshi's story. You battle a lot like him, not copying his strategies or anything, but actually fighting like you're him reincarnated or something. That was really amazing. As long as I live I don't think I'll ever see someone who battles quite like that."

Pikachu wiggled out of her master's arms to sit between the two, eyes flickering back and forth. Ash was starting to get nervous, the mouse noted with delight. He clenched and unclenched his fists nervously, running his hands along his jeans, probably to get the clammy sweat off his hand, though he hid it by sliding his hands into his pockets. His face was bright red, but a light flush, like he was running or the Icy Wind had been whipping his face a few moments before. The sexual tension poured off of him in cute, nervous, hopeful waves.

Misty took a step forward, surprisingly tentative for her, Pikachu noticed, and met Ash's eyes. Quickly, she undid her ponytail than put it back up. Aside from that, Pikachu couldn't see any other sign of nervousness, not until she spoke and her voice gave a bit of a shiver. "Do you remember what I said I'd do with someone who could battle like Satoshi?"

Ash apparently did, as his face _did _flush now, deep and dark and red. "I remember something about that…but, you don't have to. It's not anything important and, heh, I did that for me. Pikachu, that's the way I always battle, isn't it?"

_He battled that way for you,_ Pikachu lied to the girl with a large smirk. _He's got a huge crush on you, absolutely _huge!_ If he got the chance, I bet he'd propose._

"Why don't ya shut it, _Jazzy_?" Ash snapped.

His fury was quickly replaced with anxiety once more, as Misty took another step closer and quietly pulled his hands out of his pockets. She stared at the floor and held them, taking a deep breath and looking up at him. "I may be many things, Ash Ketchum, but I'm not a liar. I said that if I ever came across someone who could battle like that, before the war, when people battled like they breathed instead of like they were solving a math problem, I'd kiss them."

She looked up at him and smiled, and he felt like a girl when his legs almost gave out. _Mew_, she was pretty when she smiled. His mind seemed to blank, and he thought he stuttered out a stupid reply, something along the lines of: "I'm pretty good at math too."

She brought her lips up to his, nothing wild, but a gentle kiss. Ash didn't hesitate, eager closing his eyes and clutching the hands that held his own. He ached to push forward, but was too scared he would chase her off. His gut was twisting, pulse racing. His other kisses had been pleasant, _cousin _kisses compared to this. Her lips were nowhere near as soft, her hands were callused, and she didn't smell like flowers or lovely shampoo, but of sweat and stale worry and dirt from the battle before. But it felt right, and very, very nice.

Pikachu nearly killed him when _he _was the one to pull away and whisper, "Have you ever heard of Stealth, of the Rebellion?"

She blinked. "Yes, one of the best Rebellion agents, killed by 4574383."

Ash opened his eyes and, with no hint of remorse stated, "He was my father."

Misty dropped his hands and pulled away, eyes wide. For the first time, Pikachu saw real emotion in her eyes, not anger, or not any kind of desire to call Team Rocket, but scared he would attack, but _hurt._ There was betrayal in her eyes, and Pikachu honestly couldn't blame her. Of all the times her boy could have picked to tell her, now was not the best, not in the least. And Misty, unable to yell or scream with anger, echoed Pikachu's statements with a, "What?"

"A friend of mine, Kenny, is in this place. Pikachu and Meowth found him in the basement. After this battle I was planning on leaving, and I was debating on whether or not to take you with me." He clenched his fists and closed his eyes, turning his head away. "Misty, with that kiss…I don't know what made me blurt that. It was stupid, but I don't have much of a choice now. You have to come with me. I'll take you back to your room and you can pack up your bag."

"And what the hell makes you think I'm going to come with you?" She snarled. "I'll tell everyone you're a member of the Rebellion! "

He sighed, walking closer to her, pleased that she didn't back away. "And who's going to believe you, Misty? You've successfully blocked yourself from everyone here. My word's still going to be believed over yours. And even if you do manage to get someone to believe you, I'll be out of here before you'll be able to catch me. We'll be back to steal Kenny in no time. All we want right now is to get Kenny back, we're not attacking. We don't have the supplies."

"Fine," she hissed. "Then just leave me here."

"I _can't_," he moaned. "If I could, Misty, dammit, I would, but I can't! I just told you I'm part of the Rebellion, if you managed to get someone to believe you I…I don't know what would happen. I don't want to take the chance. You can't stay. You have to come with me. It's that or I have to kill you and I can't kill you! I can'[t kill a person! Please, Misty, can we just go and make this easier. I don't want to fight with you!"

She glared. "Make me."

"You killed Butch," he whispered. "You killed Butch. If you don't come with me, I'll tell. I'll tell and I'll run. I can't kill you, but they can."

The glare didn't lessen, but she didn't argue, and he couldn't only take from that that he had one. Her shoulder bumped his on the way out, and he had the nerve to snap at her to "watch where you're going". He finally got a taste of real fighting when she punched him in the groin, making him double over in pain and curl up on the ground. She walked away calmly, shouting out how he better not push his luck, as she was already a murderer and she was currently going down without too big a fight. He was damn lucky he had that information on him, the sneaky bastard, and she'd be sure to kill him when she got the chance, and she'd make it look like an accident.

(_It's no big deal; you won't need it for a while,_) Pikachu consoled him. (_With a stupid slip up like that, it's going to be a _long _time before you get any action._)

**

* * *

**I'm not dead yet! Sorry for the delay.  
I just want to let you all know that I looked at some of the pokémon I had to describe and frankly, my only thought was, "Oh shit". But Ursaring…oh my goodness that's my new favorite pokémon! Do you know how often I'll use that? It's a BEAR. That's…that's all you have to say. It's a bear with a tan circle on its chest. Do you not _love _that as a writer? It's just a _bear!_  
As for the pissed off Torterra…I have a turtle. She's not pleasant. I love her to death. I feed her. Love her. Give her a heating lamp. And she hisses and hates me. Hence, the scorched, barely mentioned angry creature.  
And I don't much like Paul, not really, because he's very obnoxious and doesn't have a personality, unlike Gary, who was obnoxious with a personality. He's just insults glued to purple hair. So, er, Paul's not very popular. However, unlike the show, I gave him a reason to be an asshole, and I hope to continue to develop his character. Keep a look out for him! He'll probably pop up later.


	12. History

_**History**_

"Pikachu's a girl," she murmured quietly. After an hour of doing absolutely nothing in the room, after thirty minutes of packing, these were the only words she had managed to speak to him.

He wasn't willing to pressure her. He let her lie down, let her stare at him with big, blue eyes, and watched her. As sick as it was, after all this, he still loved watching her. He still wanted to run across the room and catch her lips in his, making out heavily against the bed just so he could taste her one more time. She was gorgeous. Her chest rose and fell with deep, slow breaths, looking so calm. She hadn't taken a pill, not that he had seen, and it was hard to imagine this was the same girl who had kissed him not a moment before. It also baffled him how a girl whose emotions had pushed through the pills so forcefully now flat lined on her emotions, not raging, not crying, but staring into space, her hand dangling down uselessly with her red bag, filled with the things she needed (he had told her not to pack any clothes, he would get her new ones).

"Yeah, she is. Kanto bred," Ash returned, stroking her fur. "I didn't want to say in case they tried to take her away. There's certain pokémon you're not supposed to have, and she's one of them. So I kept her a secret. But, listen, uh, I'm sorry about how this all worked out. I shouldn't have told you right after you kissed me, but it came out and there's nothing I can do about it now. It was really crappy timing and I made a really bad mistake. And I really want to get out before daybreak, so if you're done sulking?"

"Don't care about the kiss," she continued, shaking her head. "Didn't mean anything. I was just fulfilling my promise. I'm just horrified that you're a member of the Rebellion. I trusted you. I revealed all of Team Rocket's secrets. I'm a traitor. I revealed all my secrets and now I'm being forced away because I'm not brave enough to stand up and take the blow for murdering Butch, but I can't take that hit if all it will do is hurt me. There's no positive side to it. I can't believe this."

He stood and walked across the room, looking down at her face. "Aren't you sad? I mean, I just betrayed you."

"Do you want me to be mad?" She asked. "I can get mad if you want. I don't feel mad, but I can pretend I am. I feel…it's not pleasant, whatever it is. My stomach hurts, my eyes hurt, and I just feel terrible. And I don't want to talk to you Ash. Talking to you only makes the feelings worse. It makes me want to cry, almost. I don't need to know why you did what you did, Ash. I don't want to know. I don't want to know the details of what's going on either. If I have a question, I'll ask you, but do me a favor until then: don't talk to me. Don't look at me. I want you to act as if you're going back all by yourself."

"Alright," Ash nodded, walking to the door. "Let's get out of here."

So they went, through the halls, black from lack of light, down the elevator and into the darkened night. His hand reached out for hers, grabbing it and squeezing it so tight it hurt, but she didn't cry out. He was scared she'd run, though she wasn't planning on it. She tried to signal him how tight he was holding without words, wriggling her fingers and clutching his for a moment, but he didn't seem to receive the hints. He neither tightened nor loosened his grip, perhaps hoping she would speak to him to ask him to let go. She did not, and they continued across the lawn to the end of the drive, into the parking lot where he pulled out his keys and pressed the button, the beeping of an unlocked red convertible making her jump.

(_It's snowing,_) Pikachu remarked calmly, leaping up to Ash's shoulder. (_We'll have to buy her a coat._)

"I know I'm not supposed to talk to you," he murmured, "but this isn't my car. It's a friend of mine's, and I need you to try not to spill anything when we go out to eat. He'll slaughter me for it. He got it when he was ten and he's been taking care of it like it was his little mutant child ever since."

"Food?" She inquired lightly.

"Hamburgers, as fattening as you can get them," he returned, releasing her. Though she didn't drive, she did appear to know how to get in the car and use a seatbelt, and preoccupied herself with this as he did the same. "Do you have any problems with…are there any foods you don't like? Or any kind of allergy?"

"'Member carrots and peppers," she muttered, leaning against the window as the car purred into life.

Ash was out of practice, but a smooth driver. She wondered if there was something to be said for the way people drove. He certainly was no calm boy, wild and rambunctious, but he had a tender way about him that seemed to come out in the gentle way he pressed the gas, how he never seemed to over or under turn the wheel, perfectly rounding corners and sliding between the lanes. She was jolted awake several times, not realizing she had fallen asleep, when Pikachu would nuzzle her arm curiously, and, the third or forth time, when the mouse forcefully pushed her way into Misty's lap, and rubbed along her until the girl was forced to reach out her hand and stroke the head of the electric monster, scratching behind the ears and all of the particularly sensitive spots. She only really paid attention when Pikachu flipped on her back, revealing that, indeed, she was a girl and leaving Misty to wonder how she had never managed to notice.

"Pikachu," Ash scolded quietly. "Ignore her. She wants us to talk. You can go to sleep if you like, but I still think you need some food in you. I'll wake you up when the food comes, but after that and before you can sleep. It'll be better if you do. It's a long ride and you're probably stressed out. You can stretch out a bit in the back if you like. Just climb over the seat and try not to bump anything. It'd be better if you waited for us to come to a stop."

She didn't move, just continued to stroke the mouse, and Ash figured that she had no opinion and continued down the road.

"Tell me what really happened with your dad," she whispered, startling him. The car stayed purring though, neither his foot nor his hands had twitched, and the sound seemed to calm her. "I want to know how much they told me was a lie. You don't know what the Rocket teaching is, so you can't copy that. I don't think you'd lie about what happened to your dad either. I'm not surprised by what you just did. I'm not happy with it, but I'm not surprised. The signs were all there and you were always a little weird. But I would be surprised if you lied about your dad. Stealth."

He was quite sure she wouldn't want to talk after that, and he knew the drive to the Rebellion, or just the burger joint near the Rebellion, would take plenty of time. He also figured that she'd fall asleep rather quickly, as Gary's prize car had a way of calming all who sat in it. Layered with his monotonous, hopefully soothing voice, he guessed that she would fall asleep long before he finished his story, and the awkward car ride would end.

He dove right into the tale, "My father was the founder of the Rebellion, and he met my mother in an…unusual way…"

**

* * *

**_Cypress Ketchum looked a lot like his son. His hair was black, his eyes were brown, and his skin was just about the same shade. The features, however, seemed more chiseled. His face wasn't too square, or too oval, or too round, though it leaned closest to that too square shape. Perhaps it was from the firmer attitude he had, whereas his son would always be carefree and childish, Cypress was strong and rooted to his responsibilities, putting them before feelings and dreams._

_Tonight, however, was different. Tonight he was relaxing with Samuel Oak, the man that had been like a father to him, and Flint, quite nearly his brother, in a smoky strip club. A blonde, already halfway through her show with nothing but a small, black thong left on, slid along the pole in time to the music, using her foot to pick up the dollar bill Flint had flicked onto the stage and raising the dirty bill to her mouth, biting down and shaking her head in her sexiest manner._

_Delia was not the woman on stage, nor any of the women on stage, but the woman in the back, talking in hushed tones with her father over the phone._

"No_, Daddy, I'm not pregnant. I haven't slept with anyone, at least, I haven't slept with anyone in over a year so I think I might have noticed by now," she defended herself, brown-red hair cut short in the back and long in the front, giving her a playful, rebellious look. "And if I _had_, it wouldn't be because I hang out with your employees. They've told me to save my body, and that I shouldn't use it like they do. They say that they want better for me…You're right, just because you own a titty bar doesn't mean your daughter has to be a slut, and I'm _not _a slut. Ask anyone in school. I'm a prude! A prude that they say is going to bind her chest flat and join the fight against Team Rocket."_

_There was silence, and Cypress cocked his head, ready to hear the rest of the story when she started in again, "Oh, haven't you heard, Daddy? There's hundreds of Rebellions. They're _everywhere _according to my oh so intelligent college friends. Honestly, Dad, I've hung out with all of these street smart girls so long I find the girls in the same class as me and they seem oblivious to the way the rest of the world works! You understand, you see who comes in here. You know what people have to do to feed their kids. I…no, Daddy, once again, I'm _not _pregnant and I'm not going to be anytime soon."_

_Cypress was drawn back to the scene when Flint slapped his shoulder with a happy hoot, as the blonde pouted her lips and slid down her underwear, muttering sweet, sexy things about how she had 'accidently' revealed she wasn't a real blonde and now no one would want to pay her. To which the men on either side of Ash's father argued and poured money onto the stage, each hoping that she would come and touch them, give them a lap dance or some other good thing._

"_I'll be right back," he said quietly, trying to turn from his chair._

_The naked woman leapt off the stage and stopped him, wrapping her hands around either side of his face and smiling. "What do you say, sailor? You want a touch?"_

"_No, I'm busy," he said, looking back to see Delia, who, thankfully, was still on the phone. He wasn't sure how long the conversation would go on, and wanted to get away as fast as possible. A girl like that just _might _be interested in joining his cause, and he wasn't about to let her slip away._

"_She's not a stripper," The blonde said hotly, forcing his eyes on her. "Don't ask her to take anything off. She doesn't work here. Delia is the daughter of the club owner. Violate her and he'll send the fucking mafia on you. He's got Italian roots, you know. He probably still knows how to do it. Why don't you just relax and shove your face in my boobs. Then we'll see if we can go any farther, for a price of course, cutie." She licked her lips and leaned closer. "What's your name?"_

"_Cypress, and I'm not going to touch Delia. I want to talk to her."_

_He looked up, hearing the payphone slam down hard onto the receiver. The brunette was fuming glaring at the phone and slamming it with her fist, over and over again until she bruised it, yanking it away with a hiss and holding it close. She kissed it tenderly, a sign of an ignored child whose parents treated her more like a business associate than their daughter, one who watched other parents tend to their children, kiss away the pain, and tried to do it herself. The habit apparently stayed with her long until her later life, until that very night._

"_You can't go near her, _Cypress_," The blonde protested, spitting his name like it was poison in her mouth. She grabbed his wrist as he ran past her, but he was stronger, and she spun around with the force of his stride._

"_Excuse me, Delia!" He called out, making the woman stop and turn. "Miss, I'd like to talk to you! I heard you talking to your Dad and I…I've got a suggestion for you. Not a stripper suggestion, but a real suggestion. A sort of…a job offer you could say. It's nothing sexual and nothing to do with drugs. I swear I won't hurt you. If you want a friend to come with you, a trustworthy friend, male or female, it's fine. But I…" He swallowed, realizing that she wasn't running or looking like she thought talking to him was a bad idea at all. "I'd like to speak with you."_

"_Sara, let him go," Delia said carefully, turning away. "I'm going outside for a smoke. If you've got something good to say, come on out. If you're just going to be a dick and try to rape me or something, stay where you are. I don't want to put up with some drunk. That's what I broke up with my last boyfriend for."_

_The blonde had long since released him, but he was stuck in the spot, watching her hips sway as she walked out the door, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it as she went. The back door swung open to the dark alley behind. It then swung closed and stuck, not bouncing or swinging inward, made of a heavy wood and metal, and stared at by the dumbstruck Cypress before his friends set up another cheer, knocking him out of his daydream. He stumbled a bit, running forward through the door and trying to collect himself once he got outside._

"_You're pretty eager," she smiled, leaning against the wall. Her shoulder and head were the only things that touched the grimy bricks, her hips cast to the side. One arm was crossed over her chest, while the other rested on it, supporting her chin and holding the smoking cigarette. "You look pretty sober to me. You're stumbling around, but you can stabilize easily. You didn't speak with a slur. Your face wasn't buried in Sara's boobs. You seem to be the type of guy who enjoys strip shows sober. Very interesting."_

"_Yeah, I…I like boobs sober," he said with a chuckle, then flushed and began stumbling over his words to explain._

"_Calm down," she laughed. "If you've got a car I wouldn't mind getting out of here. We could go somewhere that doesn't smell like hookers and get something good to eat. It doesn't have to be expensive. Then we could talk about this job thing you think I'd be interested in. But, first, just so I'm clear on what's going on, give me an…idea of what you need with a prude with a college education whose only hatred more great than her college friends is the corporate Team Rocket?"_

"_You're observant," Cypress told her, taking a step closer. She stood up straighter, going rigid and preparing to defend herself if need be. "You notice things normal people wouldn't. You're feisty. You strong, clever, and most importantly, you're rebellious. I don't care about you being a prude, what you do or don't do and who you do and don't do doesn't matter to me. I'm just your boss and I don't care what you do on your time as long as you show up for work ready to go."_

"_But what's the _job_, sir?" she inquired, wickedly grinning and knowing the 'sir' was quite an insult to a young man like him._

"_My name is Cypress," he informed. "And the job is…I've started a rebellion against Team Rocket. We're just calling it the Rebellion for now. It's nothing creative but we're a little busy trying to take down an evil organization. We've got a few sharp minds on our side. There has to be a different way to do it other than violence. They amount of people they have, the ruthless way they do thing, normal people with morals can't stand up to that. We have to use our minds and take them down the right way, the sneaky way. You're bright, if not in your grades than you're street smart, and you've got so many qualities of a spy. We could really use your help."_

_She took a deep breath and retorted, "I suck with computers."_

_He laughed. "That's fine."_

"_No, I mean, Team Rocket's completely computerized. All the espionage stuff involves technology and I just…I can't." She blew her hair out of her face. "I don't know how to do a damn thing with them. I take one look and I just…I freeze up. If you want me to do espionage you need to make sure I won't be doing anything with computers. I'll shoot a guy in the groin but I won't touch one of those devil machines. I'll blow something up. We'll be trying to be inconspicuous and there will be this _huge _explosion and ruin the entire mission."_

_He chuckled, holding out his hand to be shaken. "You're a funny girl, you know that? Never met anyone quite like you."_

_She held her hand up, not ready to be shaken yet, and asked, "personality wise or looks?" _

"_Both." He grinned at her, a real smile that made her smile back. It was almost contagious, and was exactly like the smile her future son would have, with one side just a tad bit higher than the other and making the whole thing lopsided. But it was still a lovely smile, and it seemed to make her feel warm, accepted, not just acknowledged but praised for who she was. "Is there something else I have to do to get you to shake?"_

"_I don't usually do this, and you have to promise not to try anything, but my apartment is right up the ladder here, above the club. I'll invite you in so we have a private, cool place to talk. I hate it out here. It's too hot. It's muggy. Makes me sweat." She made a face. "That's the one thing I hate about Pewter: it's a city. All the humidity and the hate gets stuck in here. I was born in Pallet, nice, big rural area. I'm not a city girl. I like wide open spaces and cool, romantic nights under trees instead of one night stands next to a glue factory where you can hear creatures screaming while their friends are being slaughtered. It's not a happy place."_

_He leaned back on the wall with a thoughtful sigh. "I'm going to have to mark you off for that, Delia. Trusting someone so quickly? You've barely asked any questions. For all you know I could be from Team Rocket, sent to find people with treasonous thoughts. You're even in a back alley! If you scream, no one would hear you. I could have my way with you and slit your throat and no one would be the wiser, not until it was too late. You're getting yourself into a risky situation. I think I might have to reconsider my offer, you little country mouse."_

"_And how do you know _I'm _not a Rocket spy, Cypress?" She shot back. "You've barely asked me any questions either! For all you know that phone call with my 'father'-" she used air quotes for this "-could have been staged to trick gentlemen such as yourself into help the poor, confused girl only to discover she's got a gun in her pocket, ready to pound some lead into his stupid, wildly beating heart. But she can't pull the trigger, because the man is so charming and handsome and everything she dreamed of and…well, it turns into a romance story from there."_

"_A romance story?" He repeated._

"_I like to daydream," she smiled, leaning back on the wall as well. "You seem like a trustworthy guy. There's just something about you. I don't know if it's the way you look or you talk or you act, but something about you doesn't scream danger, not anymore than the men inside. And that's a good thing. I've never understood women who like dangerous men. My idea of a relationship is love, not excitement. Two lovers will protect each other no matter what, there's never danger, at least, not from the man." She glanced at him. "Do you mind if I go freaky on you for a moment?"_

_He encouraged her with a nod, neither making eye contact: "Go as freaky as you want."_

"_I think I can feel people's auras." The man snorted. "Don't laugh, dillhole. I think I can feel people's auras. Nothing mystical, but the instinct. Like when a dog can tell its master is driving up or who's a friend and who isn't. I've got the same thing. And you don't' have a bad feel about you. You're nice. You're trustworthy. You're going to treat me like a person instead of an investment. We're partners, right? If I go with you in this, we're equals?"_

"_Not partners, exactly. Colleagues, maybe. Not equal, but you could sure work your way up to equal. I'm an equal opportunity kind of guy. Black, white, woman, man, old, young, fat, skinny and whatever other adjectives you could think of. I don't care. As long as you promise you're not a Rocket spy and going to slit my throat when we get to your room. If you do that, I think I'm going to have to fire you or something equally severe."_

_She laughed, bending over in two and casting the burnt down cigarette to her side. A few moments later, she began coughing, and she had to wait a moment to recover before she looked back at him. "Sorry, that's been happening more and more often when I laugh or talk too much. I should go to a doctor but I never really get the chance. If your job pays well enough maybe I'll be able to get a doctor that can recommend more than over the counter drugs or try to figure out how to get me to sleep with him."_

"_You'd get full medical from the Professor." Cypress jerked his thumb at the building he was resting on. "He's inside with Sara. But if he were here, he'd tell you that cough is probably something to do with your cigarettes, and though cancer is curable, if it gets too far you're screwed so you'll want to get it checked out as soon as possible. If you've got any cigarettes in your pocket, I'd suggest you hand them on over to me for safekeeping, so you're not tempted to smoke anymore tonight."_

"_Is that a job requirement?" She asked, fingering the pack in her pocket._

"_Damn straight. I like my employees alive, thank you very much."_

_He held out his hand and the two met eyes once more. She frowned; he smiled. Her hand clenched around the pack as she pulled it out, and she clutched it to her chest. The red and gold package seemed to shine in the darkness around her hands, peaking through the little spaces between her fingers. She stayed like that for quite a while, not willing to let them go, weighing the pros and the cons of this deal, and realizing exactly how addicted she was to the nicotine if she couldn't hand over a single pack. Deciding it was much better to kick it now, on the off chance it did get worse, she shoved it into his hands and turned her head away._

"_You better give me a lot of gum, Cypress," she told him, returning to her cheerier self. "And patches and anything else they use to kick people off those. I'm not going to struggle through it cold turkey if there's an easier way to do it. You've got all the patches and gum and stuff in your little rebellion, don't you?"_

"_Of course," he encouraged. "So, where's your place?"_

"_Follow me. It's right up this ladder here. There's a way to it in the club, but it's through the dressing rooms and I can't take you back there."_

"_For the woman's privacy," he concluded._

_She laughed. "No, so they don't steal your wallet."_

_Delia walked around the back, looking over her shoulder once or twice to make sure the man was following close behind. An old escape ladder hung down, leading to a single platform up top and a single, white door. The black paint, layers of black paint that was once kept with care, was peeling away to reveal the rust underneath. She had to jump to reach it, but managed and pulled herself up with her arms two rungs. Her feet swung up after this, scraping against it with a ring and showering Cypress with a heavy shower of rust and paint flakes. It was easy for her to climb after that, getting to the top and unlocking the door before looking down._

"_Do you need help getting up?" She called down. He shook his head and prepared to leap, but her voice stopped him. "Before you do, the forth rung up isn't too sturdy. It barely holds my weight and it isn't going to hold yours, so don't risk it. Skip it with your hands and your feet. If you need to pull yourself up higher than the third rung, because you're going to need to swing your legs up, I'll grab a rope of sheet or something from inside and pull you up."_

"_I'm not that tall," he argued._

"_I noticed."_

_He scowled at the insult, backing up for a running start at the ladder. The last thing he wanted was to jump and miss, looking stupid and quite possibly slamming into the wall behind. He grabbed the ladder no problem, but overshot it, not jumping to far but jumping too high. His hands gripped no other than the fourth rung, and it broke under his weight. Thankfully, fast reflexes let him slow his stop on the first rung, and he winced at the bruises that were sure to be on his forearms in the morning, and the painful pounding in his chest from the old adrenaline rush._

_She went to her stomach on the platform above, ready to reach out a hand and help him up if need be. "I told you to avoid that first rung, didn't I Cypress? With those kind of listening skills you've just _got _to be related to me."_

"_Charming," he grunted, legs swinging in the air as he fought to raise himself to the second and third rungs. "You want to tell me the secret of how you get up here without the bruising?"_

"_Practice." She shrugged. "Alright, so here's what you need to do. If you can pull yourself up to the second run, you _should _be able to bend enough so you can use your feet. You have to be careful though, because your feet are going to slip a lot easier than your hands, no matter what kind of traction you've got on your tennis shoes. They're made for running on the ground, not gripping bars. If you can't do that, drop to the ground, and _bend your knees_ when you drop to the ground so you don't shatter your ankles, and I'll send down the bed sheet to help pull you up. We'll work on rigging up a pulley system."_

"_You are from the country. They're called sneakers, not tennis shoes." He pulled himself up a rung, and tried to scratch his sneaker on the bottom rung, fuming when he couldn't bend well enough to get it. "Flexible bitch. If you're not playing tennis in them, they're not tennis shoes. They're sneakers." Again, he pulled himself up a rung, and this time gave him the room to place his feet on the ladder, and he easily pulled himself the rest of the way up. "How do you like them apples?"_

"_So you're a dork?" She giggled, jumping to her feet and stepping back to give him room. "Well, it's better than a boss who's a dick. I can handle dorks. I've got loads of friends who are dorks. I've got a couple dorky teachers too, and they're generally the best kind. Never had a dorky boss though. Do you wear suspenders on Casual Friday?"_

_He snorted. "Very cute. Are you going to let me into your home or are we going to stand out here and sweat?"_

_She stood with her back to the door, explaining a few things before she let him in. "My air conditioner goes on the fritz sometimes, but it's not as muggy inside. My place is a mess too. I don't usually have visitors so, uh, sorry. It's been a while since I've been in here. I'm on vacation from college, which, you know, I live there. You wouldn't know that it's just…" She took a deep breath in and out. "I don't usually hang out with guys. Sorry. I get nervous."_

"_It's alright, I don't usually hang out with women," he consoled. "If you could act like a guy, that'd probably work out best for both of us. Just let me into your apartment and give me a beer if you've got any. The beer's only if you've got a fridge in there. Nothing's worse than cold beer."_

_She beamed at that. "Beer? _That_ I've got. I've got tons of beer in my fridge. So we can talk about a job over beer? You don't find that, I don't know, unprofessional?"_

"_I'm not a very professional guy," he said, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Bring on the beer. We'll talk about this little job arrangement I've got all set up for you. I'm sure it'll all work out alright if jumping like that it how you end that night."_

"_Please? That little jump? That's nothing! I've got all these reflexes from running around the country side with my friends, tipping cows and running away from the farmer with the shot gun who got pretty pissed that some of his cows can't be righted without hooking them up to a truck and getting a bunch of men behind to push it up." she giggled, turning to the door and knocking it open. "But that jump? That's easy. You should see me do it when I'm drunk!"_

**

* * *

**(_She's asleep, Ash,_) Pikachu told him, jumping from Misty's lap to the headrest behind him. (_You know that's not the story she was looking for. You're traveling down a dangerous road full of lies. Once you start you can't stop. Maybe you should just tell her the whole story. She's already out of the school, who's she going to tell? Anything you tell her isn't anything that no one in the Rebellion knows. It might lessen the shock if you tell it all now. Maybe you can still salvage a relationship by coming clean._)

"She's been around you long enough to understand you, Jazzy," Ash mumbled. "You need to learn to keep your mouth shut so she doesn't learn anything too soon. I'm gonna try and give her little pieces of information so we don't overwhelm her. If it turns out she'll never really like me every again, not as a friend or anything and she falls in love with Gary or Brock of something, at least she'll be okay. She won't be completely crazy. I think that's pretty nice and selfless of me."

(_I think you're a stupid lovesick sap who needs a swift kick in the nuts to make him realize he's about to lose the girl of his dreams,_) Pikachu barked. (_You need a mate. You need one immediately so I can go and marry Meowth and we can all live happily ever after in some huge mansion and have babies running everywhere. You know how I am about babies. My maternal clock is ticking. Ticking like no tomorrow I tell you! We have to have children as soon as possible!)_

"You're not right upstairs," he said, glancing over his shoulder at the mouse. "Listen, I know you're…going a little hormonal because of that maternal clock inside your head, but you need to chill out. I'm not about to marry Misty just because she's the first girl it looks like I'm showing some kind of real interest in and vice versa. There's plenty of fish in the sea, she's not my only chance. Haven't you said countless times that any girls would be lucky and happy to have me?"

(_I lied. You were depressed because all your friends were getting asked out and your weren't. What was I supposed to say? "Oh, of course no one will ever love you Ash. You're an ugly bastard with horrible taste in women." I'm not about to be that bitchy, Ash. I'm angry, but I'm not mean._)

"What the hell do you mean you're not mean? You're the meanest pokémon I've ever come across."

(_I am not. You exaggerate. I'm a happy, healthy mouse just like you are a happy, healthy boy. Stop calling me mean before I bite you or worse._)

"You're going to electrocute me while I'm behind the wheel of a car?"

(_I would risk it, yes, if you were being a big enough jerk._)

"You're such a wonderful friend," he snorted, turning the wheel and pulling into the hamburger joint.

He glanced at the girl, wondering whether or not to wake her up. She looked peaceful, not angry, not violent, sleeping there with her head resting against the window. He didn't want to ruin her relaxing moment. More accurately, he didn't want to wake her up and be face to face, once again, with the fact that she hated him more than she hated anything else, more than the book burning or the pills or the life she had been forced to lead with Team Rocket or her murdering Butch or a number of other unpleasant things. He bet she would smack him if he woke her up the wrong way, or grab him like she had with Dawn.

"Misty?" He called quietly, not wanting to touch her. He clapped his hands loudly, and she still didn't move. "Pikachu, can you-"

(_Be a man you coward,_) she scolded.(_Go up to her and touch her shoulder. What's she going to do? Bite you? I bite you. I can take care of you if she tried to hurt you baby. Just tap her shoulder and let her know it's time to eat. It's been forever since she's had actual food, real food, and she's bound to love the smell. Aside from that, I want my ketchup and my burger. Well, your burger. Same thing, really._)

He glared at her. "You're not taking my burger. I'll buy you your own. I haven't had real food in forever."

(_Neither have I! And I found Kenny with the staircase and everything and I found Meowth and without him we'd be completely screwed and Kenny would die cold and alone! I've worked for it more! Just let me have a bite of your burger!_)

"You won't take a bite!" He raged, now screaming. "You'll eat the whole damn thing!"

Misty stirred with a quiet moan, rubbing her eyes and sitting up slowly. She looked around her, and wrinkled her nose up tightly, looking more confused than disgusted at what she was smelling. She turned to look at Ash, not with hatred, but that same, still slightly hurt kind of glance, and held outstretched arms for Pikachu to leap into, then cuddled close to her chest. Her eyes never left him, though, and she asked, "What smells funny?"

"It's food. Burgers. The waiters should be rolling out any time now." He leaned back. "You fell asleep a while ago, which is all the better, I guess, since you don't know the way back to Team Rocket. We're in Pallet Town, which is really where my accent comes from. Have you ever had French fries or onion rings or zucchini sticks or anything other than those nasty, health food cubes they made us eat at the school?"

"I just remember I don't like carrots and peppers. I don't remember a lot from before I came to the school. I was little." She leaned back against the window. "But I only had one cube today. So I'm pretty hungry. Just get me whatever you're having. If I don't like it I'll let you know, but I don't see why I wouldn't. Everything's pretty much the same, isn't it? The differences in the differently balanced food cubes were barely noticeable."

"It's a lot different with real food." He rolled down the window with a touch of the button, and ordered them each a triple cheeseburger, fries, and onion rings, which he claimed was a 'light meal' for him. "So, I guess you're feeling a bit better. You don't seem as…depressed."

"Hard to feel much when you're as tired as I am right now," she murmured, scratching behind her ear with another yawn. "Do we have to eat, Ash? I just want to take a rest. The place you're taking me has beds, doesn't it? Warm beds. Not cold sleeping bags. Used to camp. Not really camp. They took us out behind the school and made us survive. It was horrible. They left the lights on to make sure no one runs. Hate sleeping outside. There's bugs."

She was already nodded off, head sliding to the window and curling up tighter in her seat, so he tapped her shoulder. "Sorry, Misty, I have to make sure you eat. My mom will kill me if I don't take you home after making sure you're well fed. And you better get used to eating a lot because my mom will shove you full of food nonstop. She likes to feed people. It's a bad habit. So, uh, when we see her I'll make sure to tell her you don't like carrots."

"Or peppers," she reminded roughly.

Misty turned to the glass and put her hand on it, spreading her fingers out wide. The chill was surprising to her, as was the snow outside. It was rare enough for Team Rocket to let her outside, even more so in the winter. She didn't go up on the roof to swim when it was icy out, and they usually covered the pool and brushed off the snow. She wanted to go outside and scoop it up, though she knew for sure it would freeze her fingers and make a painful frostbite later. But she still wanted to try it, just so she could know white the white powder felt like. She imagined it would be soft instead of the hard window that separated them.

"You awake?" Ash inquired a moment later, tapping her shoulder.

She reached up her free hand and slapped his, assuring him that she was quite awake and confirming that she did not want to be touched at the moment. She reached up and ran her fingers through her hair before freezing and realizing exactly what it meant. Her short hair was set free of its typical elastic bond, showering around her face and tickling her cheeks. She wasn't used to the feeling, not while she was awake, and grunted with displeasure.

"Where's my rubber band, Ketchum?" She accused, glaring at him. "I know you took it, what'd you do with it?"

"Didn't you say Giovanni gave you it?" He asked. She nodded, continuing to run her fingers through her hair with displeasure. "Right, well, I figure there's some kind of tracking device in it. I don't want to take the risk so I just tossed it out the window. We can get you a new one. You're going to need a whole new wardrobe, but we can set you up with one of the Yawa girls for that. They've got all their clothes with them, and they've gone through pretty much every style in the book some I'm sure you can find something that interests you."

"Yawa?" Misty repeated with a slow blink."I know that name."

"Of course you do," he chuckled. "It's in the book you lent me. They're the descendants of the Cerulean Gym Leaders. We've got Brock Slate too, he's the Pewter Gym Leader. Well, he will be when the gyms come back."

"No, that's not it," she shook her head. "I mean, yes, it is in the book but I've heard it somewhere else."

"Where else could you have heard it?" He chuckled. "What, in some kind of memory? It's not like you would have known the Yawa's, they were in Cerulean and by the time they were attacked you were already in Team Rocket." His voice turned somber. "They didn't bring in anyone. They searched the house, killed their mother and little sister, and their father…he was killed a little while before that. There's no way you could have heard them from anywhere."

"But what if I _have_?" She argued, glaring out the window. Her fingers clenched on the glass and she wished she could punch through it. "Is it so crazy to think I might actually know something? That I'm not a total moron? I'm sick of no one ever believing me about a damn thing. Never. Not anyone in Team Rocket and certainly not you. Nobody trusts me. You sure as hell don't. You may have thought you did, but you don't, not really. If you had trusted me…you wouldn't be doing this. You would have left me back where I belonged. Back in Team Rocket and trusted me not to tell. You would have told me about this long ago, or at least slid me into it. You had plenty of chances. But then. Right _then _when I showed that I really truly trusted you, that I didn't think you would take advantage of me, you stabbed me right in the back and you hauled me away."

"This is about trust?" He asked, mouth hanging open.

"Of course," she said, looking back at him. "What else could it be about? I trusted you and you _betrayed _me. The number of times I must of looked you in the eyes, and thought I was getting complete honesty…it was all a lie. For all I know you could have told me your name was Ash Ketchum when it's not anything like that. You broke the trust. It wasn't just a small thing, either. But that's all it takes. I don't hate you, Ash Ketchum. I don't at all. But I don't trust you, and that's what you're mistaking for hate. I'm angry at you. I don't trust you, but I don't hate you. I couldn't possibly hate you. No one ever can from what I've noticed."

"Paul seems to."

"You've got enemies because they're jealous of you. To be jealous of someone you have to like them, because you want to be like them. They look up to you. They want to be you. They think you're wonderful and perfect and they think that you don't have a single flaw. I'm sure you have plenty. I've seen many of them. Bad timing seems to be on the top of your list along with how horrible you are at choosing your words."

"We all make mistakes," he mumbled. "I'm sorry for what I did, and if I had known that this was about trust I would have-"

"Done the same thing you're doing now, because you don't trust me." She got close to his face and glared. "You didn't trust me from day one and you don't trust me now. You never will. You don't care about my feelings or my safety. You thought with your heart instead of your head and that's your biggest flaw. If you had thought with your head you would have known I never would have told, that with Butch hanging over my head you could have made sure I stayed silent and that you could have left me where I was happy. You wanted me with you. It was your sick, selfish desire that stuck me in this car, wasn't it?"

His eyes widened, not at her words, because he knew those words. Those were the same words he had thrown at himself not too long ago. He was stupid, thinking with his head instead of his heart and all of the things that she had mentioned. But he knew her temper. Her temper was the exact same as the Yawa girls, all three of them. She had that same tone in her voice, and he could swear if he threw in a 'like' or two there would most certainly be a Yawa in front of him. But it was those eyes, those green blue eyes that got to him, that drilled inside his brain and made him realize exactly where he had seen them before.

"Daisy Yawa," he whispered, barely audible.

Pikachu, with her large, pokémon ears heard it, and Misty read it off his lips. But the latter's face only crinkled with confusion and backed away, feeling rather disgusted and wishing she could curl up in the back seat and take a nap. The former leapt forward with curious ears perked and tail flashing about with excitement as she began to poke and prod at him, muttering about how badly she needed to know what had sparked the whole thing, and he drew her into his chest.

"Pikachu," he whispered, dropping his voice down to her ear. "She's got Daisy's eyes. _That's _where I knew them from! That's why they bugged me! She's got the eyes! It all makes sense! She's got the obsession with water pokémon too. She's a Gym Leader, dammit. She's bred for it. She's got the trademark eyes!"

(_She can't be a Yawa,_) Pikachu scolded. (_There were only four of them. They saw their little sister's body. She died. There were blood stains all over her clothes, they said. Team Rocket's not running a zombie factory. It can't possibly be her! Stop being such a moron._)

"It's her," Ash continued. "They probably faked her death."

(_Why the hell would Team Rocket fake her death?_) Pikachu snapped.

"They're fucking crazy, that's why! Why do you always need a reason? I don't know why I keep you. Chikorita doesn't argue with me. She's nice. She hugs me. You just zap and scream and try to marry pokémon named Meowth. By the way, where is the little guy? Can you leave him alone?"

(_Oh, so the Professor didn't call when he got the pokeball. I hope he's okay. Do you think Oak let him out? He might go crazy in there. Well, crazier than normal. I told him it would only be for a short while. I'd hate to lie. We'll have to give him something nice._) She stopped her rambling and beamed at him. (_He's under your name! Congrats, you're one step closer to completing your pokedex! The Professor will be so excited! And you've seen the Legendaries, so he already loves you._)

"I'm going to abandon you on the side of the road," Ash remarked.

"Nice." Misty rolled her eyes.

"No! Not you! Pikachu!"

She raised an eyebrow. "That's better?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, not really, it's just…" Ash shook his head. "Alright, you didn't hear the whole conversation. There was a whole bunch of stuff behind this that you don't know about. She's not a nice pokémon. She's very mean. I don't know why she likes you but I bet it has something to do with the levels of estrogen in our bodies. I thinks the more estrogen a person has the more she likes them, which explains why you're so moody."

"But if she liked girls wouldn't you be her favorite?" Misty inquired sweetly.

"Ha! I'm a girl. That's a new one," he shot back.

"You called me a boy so neither of us are very creative, are we?" She crossed her arms and settled back in her seat. "I'm going to touch that snow tomorrow. You can't stop me from that. And you better tell me who Daily Yawa is right now. I saw you mouth her name. I think it was Daily. Is that some kind of Rebellion newspaper? Can I say Rebellion here or is Team Rocket going to hear me and blow your stupid base up?"

"Most everyone around here is pro-rebel, so you can say it all you want. You just can't say you're in it." He explained, glaring out the window. "They're taking forever to get our food. Anyway, her name's Daisy Yawa, not Daily. You just have the same temper as her. She's the one who's probably going to have the clothes for you. She went through a tomboy phase a while ago, so she'll probably have something that fits. You'll have to pick it out though, or else she'll shove you in a dress and put on more make up than a Barbie doll."

A knock came to their window, and Ash rolled it down, letting in the cold air as a pimply teenager delivered their food. It was wrapped up in three white bags, and he glanced back and forth at the two in the car, trying to figure out how the meal could _possibly _be for just them, then suddenly chirped, "So, Ketchum, looks like you've finally found another girl who can eat as much as you. But she's dressing up a little early for Halloween. Got some kind of roleplay game going?"

"Yes," Misty said in a suggestive voice, batting her lashes and popping her breasts forward. "I've been a bad girl. He's going to spank me when we get back to the school. Too bad I'm a glutton for punishment. It's my worst sin after lust."

Ash's eyes widened and he quickly said his goodbyes to the waiter, rolling up the window and honking when the boy made a face and tried to talk to her through the window. The dark haired boy glanced her way, still wide eyed, and managed to blurt, "What the hell was that?"

She shrugged and took a bag from him curiously. "That's suggestive, isn't it? I thought I was pretty sexy and if it's sexy, then it makes a good joke. Are burgers supposed to be this shiny? It doesn't look like the burger they showed us in health class. Plus they said this kind of thing was horrible for you. It's supposed to make you fat and sluggish and make you have a heart attack. I don't think it does, because there's an awful lot of skinny teens making out in the back of their car after finishing their burger. Does this thing raise libidos?"

"No, it doesn't, teens are just always horny and you can't do that!" Ash gasped, snatching the burger away as she tried to take a bite through the wrapper. He spoke as he unwrapped it and handed it back, letting her now sniff it and investigate it more thoroughly. "Don't do that kind of sexy stuff, alright? People can't tell when you're joking and when you're serious. You'll get a bad reputation and I don't need a bunch of horny guys scratching at our window."

"Is the green stuff peppers?" She asked, seeming to completely ignore his question. "I told you a million times that I hate peppers."

"It's pickles," Ash explained with a sigh, giving up. He supposed the sexual innuendos would come with time. He unwrapped his and took a bite, then looked up as he realized that she wasn't eating hers, but still investigating it looking completely baffled. "You can eat it, Mist. It's a burger, not a bomb. You put it in your mouth, chew and swallow, just like a real burger. And then you take out the fries and whatever other stuff I bought and you dip it in the millions of packets of ketchup that I'm spilling all of the napkin between us."

She took a bite, slowly then dug in quicker with apparent delight. He supposed he would eat that fast too, if it was the first time he had ever eaten anything with taste in who knew how long. Still, it surprised him that she managed to finish before he did, and that she managed to squirm to the backseat and fall asleep before he could continue their conversation. But she did manage to eat almost all her food, leaving the argumentative Pikachu to pick off the leftovers.

Soon, it was all done. The anger of the night, the confusion, the realization that quite possibly Misty could be a Yawa (which was now regarded as ridiculous) and the meal faded into the past, becoming nothing to them, but quite possibly one of the biggest nights in future Kanto's history.

**

* * *

**Nothing much about this chapter, it's pretty much self explanatory. I guess the only thing to explain was the last line, and that's because Misty didn't bolt, Misty told Ash what was wrong and they could talk it out. So, they go to the Rebellion together and the entire fic to this point wasn't useless, aren't you proud of me? I made things worthwhile and I sort of fixed their relationship problem. I also gave Misty a cheeseburger. Aren't I sweet?

So, about that consistency thing most authors have. Like, "I update every month" or "I update fast" or "I update slow" or "I hold to the pledge I wrote on the profile and don't write thirty million oneshots before wandering back to my plot fic and completely forgetting about 'Challenge' which has been lonely for quite some months now". I'm such a rebel that I don't like consistency. I like to keep you on your toes. What will I ever do next?! My next update, if going to plan, should be on the twenty first. Think I can do it?


	13. Home

_**Home**_

There was a Rebellion base, but not in the sense that they lived there, all holed up underground in heavy war make up and plotting. It was the Professor's ranch, and for all purposes it was a ranch. It was more often used for pokémon research than anything else, the building that sat upon the top of the hill overlooked the pokémon playing in the fields below, and looked as innocent as it truly was. It was, after all, just a building, originally made for research and good natured purposes, and the plotting inside had not taken place often enough or wickedly enough that it had begun to reflect on the outside.

A better description would had to wait, as Ash barely glanced at it as he winded down the road, heart racing that soon he would be back at _his _house with _his _mother cooking _his _breakfast in his home. Though, he did scowl while he realized that breakfast was a long time waiting, and he had to sleep first. To be more accurate, he had to wake Misty, get her into the house, put her in bed, get to his mother, tell her what was going on, get _her _in bed (and he guessed, at several points during the discussion, drag Misty back to bed as well) and _then _he could comfortable collapse in his own bed, in his own home and finally relax if just for a little while, though how much rest he would get when she was in the room, probably going to be anxious and twitchy at the new environment, was debatable.

He parked outside the white picket fence and smiled at the small, white country kind of cottage. It wasn't much, and certainly nothing fancy, but his mom had never been one to overly decorate. She made things presentable and nice, but she was much more interested in tending the garden and keeping her precious plants alive than painting the house a new color to fit her mood. It showed in that their small path to the house was merely dirt, trampled mostly by his feet, a light brown and cracked, whereas the grass which grew around it was a green more lush than you could find in the densest forest, in the nicest valley in all the world.

But, he could be looking through rose colored glasses. It was his home, after all, and he was awfully found of it.

(_So, you gonna carry her out bridal style over the threshold?_) Pikachu inquired sweetly, jumping from him to look at the lightly snoring girl in the back seat. (_She's pretty cramped back here, lover boy. I don't think she'll be able to unknot herself enough to stand. She'll love it if you pick her up. Then you can give her a romantic kiss and tell her that your mom still has to remind you to change your boxers on a daily basis, so you can ruin the romantic moment._)

"Shut it, Jazzy," Ash muttered. "If you're going to joke around, _you _have to wake her up. She doesn't have electricity, and the best she's got is to swing that bag of hers at your tiny head and squish it like a bug against the side of the car. _You _can zap her, and _you _can run when she comes after you, and _you _can scream when you wake up in the middle of the night and she's hovering over you with a bloody machete and a hungry look in her eyes and blood all around her mouth. I bet you taste like chicken."

(_That's comforting._)

"That you taste like chicken?"

(_No, I'm assuming since you said the machete was bloody she had to come after someone else first. I'm betting it was you after that _wonderful _confession you gave. You know, a girl's heart is a very delicate thing, Ash. And if you give really, really crappy confessions they close up their good parts and run away from you and I don't get cute little grandchildren with red hair, a recessive allele that's practically gone from the world and I find adorable._)

"They are cute," Ash agreed, picturing a red headed child, sweet and kind with a white dress and a lollipop in his mind.

She grinned and snickered, (_So you finally admit you're in love with the girl. That's a good step in the rest direction._)

"I don't love her!" Ash snapped, glaring at his mousey friend and wondering exactly how guilty he'd really feel if he gave her a good strangle right then and there. "I don't even like her! She kissed me, and she did it because she thought she had some kind of promise or obligation to fill. She didn't do it because she was attracted or vice versa. We are not in love. We are not attracted to one another. When I said I thought redheads were cute I was thinking of kids, not…not like that, oh, and not like _that _either."

(_Well, thank Mew. I can finally rest at peace now that you've denied you're a pedophile. And all this time I had my money on you feeling up little boys. That would explain a lot about when you and Gary were wrestling when you were younger. One day you'll _have _to explain to me the obsession with kicking each other in the nuts. Is it really that fun? Brock doesn't seem to enjoy it when a girl rejects his advances, or is it different among young children?_)

"Ha. Cute." He rolled his eyes, then got out of the car, waving the mouse on. "Now wake her up. If you need me, I'll be standing out here and planning your funeral."

(_What a brave soul,_) she scoffed, turning to the dangling hand before her. Pikachu licked it gently, then put the finger in her mouth to apply just enough pressure to hurt, nothing severe enough to leave a mark and nothing that would hurt for very long. The effect was immediate, and the mouse barely had time to leap away before the girl was sitting up, clutching her finger and glaring around in the dark, wondering why she was hurt and where she was.

Tired eyes began to glisten with awareness and she looked out the open door, into the cricket chirping filled night, and looked at the boy. "Ash? I thought you said I was going to get to sleep until we got to your house."

"I did," he said, pushing the seat forward and ushering her out the driver's door, onto the dirt road he had spent so many summers on. "This _is _my house."

She looked around, eyes already well adjusted to the black from sleeping, and the moon shedding plenty of light on the environment. "Holy crap. You really are a farm boy. There's fields and shit and everything. Who would have thought that Team Rocket's biggest enemy, the whole shebang of the Rebellion is at some farm boy's house? A farm boy! I bet you have cows. Do you have livestock and plants and stuff you grow? Do you only eat stuff in your own field? Can I tip a cow? Can you actually flip a cow, or is it a lie? Do you really have to shoot the cow after you flip it because it's too fat to pick up? That's pretty pathetic. I'm glad we eat them." She smiled a bit. "_I_ ate a cow."

"Lotta questions," Ash grinned, patting her shoulder. "We're not actually on a farm, so I can't answer those. This is my house. My mom's inside, so I'm going to take you to your room and let you sleep while I tell her what's going on. You're still in your Rocket uniform, and I don't want her pulling out _her _gun and shooting you for tracking her precious son home. Are you okay with that, or are you hungry already or…?"

He trailed off as she shook her head and assured, "No, no. I just want to get to sleep. I'd rather not meet anyone from the Rebellion though. It's bad enough I associate with you. If I know everyone's names they'll never believe that I wasn't a double agent for your side. They'll think I was sent in from a young age to spy on them and then I'll get strapped into an electric chair. I'd rather not die in an electric chair. It seems like a pretty painful death."

"Sure does," he agreed, slamming the doors and locking the locks. The car gave a beep that broke the nice semi-silence, making the teens and pokémon cover their ears and wince. "That was loud. Mom's probably going to kill me if I woke any of the neighbors. I'll have to put you in my room, I guess, and I'm used to the top bunk there. You'll be alright with taking the bottom bunk, won't you?" He chuckled at his future joke. "I don't wet the bed or anything, so you won't have to worry about getting rained on."

"Don't care," she sighed, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. "As long as it's warm and nice and soft, just like a real bed. There doesn't even have to be comforters, since I usually kick them off anyway. I can just huddle down and pull them over my head and wake up in the morning, knowing that this was all a dream, you're not actually a Rocket agent, and there's no such thing as cheeseburgers."

"You'll never forget that taste, even if it was a dream," he teased, walking down the dirt path and urging her to follow. "There's certain things about real life, Mist, that you won't give up for all the world. Taste, touch, love, hate, all the things that make living worthwhile are being served to you on a silver platter. Team Rocket's not letting you have those, you know. They're taking away all the good stuff. I don't want them to do that to you, to anyone, and that's why I'm here, and that's why I'm hoping you'll join us."

She had stopped to pick a flower from the ground and hold it to her nose, a faint, dreamy look on her face letting him know she wasn't really paying attention, but much more keen on the lovely smell the flower had. "Mis_ty_," she corrected idly, and dropped the flower on the path, sure to twist her foot on it when she stepped on the path, sure to look right in his eyes with his copied grin glued to her features.

He opened the door, the unlocked door, the never locked door, and stepped inside his house. His hand drifted to hers and tugged hard enough to get her attention, leading her up the stairs and to his room. She couldn't see what was there, the dark of inside without the moon much dimmer than the dark outside. But she did feel. She felt springy carpet, bouncing her up with each step she took. She felt a poster as she ran her hand along the wall. She felt Ash's hands guiding her to the bed. She felt soft sheets with a spring bed (so very old fashioned) that welcomed her like her own bed would have. And, finally, she felt Ash slip away from her, his hand barely brushing her shoulder as he strode out the door and down the hallway.

She was not so guilty as to ignore how she was compelled to follow him, slipping off her shoes and socks to muffle the sounds of her footsteps. She followed him like a puppy down the hall, hiding in the bathroom, squatting, and watching the boy walk to his mother's side. He knelt and shook her gently, muttering things she couldn't hear, and the formless black thing sat up in bed, reaching out a hand to touch his face, then arms to wrap him close while she murmured happy, wondering words at how her son had returned home.

"Come on, Mom! I'm fine! I'm _me_, for Mew's sake!" He flung out an arm to turn on the bedside light, showering them each in its yellow glow.

Misty had not often seen a mother, at least not that she could remember in her lifetime. It struck her as odd that the woman seemed young, and must have had Ash at a strikingly young age. What struck her as stranger was that the women still seemed, well, womanly. In all the fictional stories she read, mothers were not thin, pretty things with thin features and full lips, with brown eyes like cocoa and pretty nightgowns. Mothers were fat, sweet old women who would bring you into their arms, clutch you tight and smell like butter and good tasting things, whereas she suspected this woman would smell like pretty shampoo and would be quite cold.

They spoke in hushed tones, much too quiet for her to hear, but she didn't mind. She could read her name off people's lips (years of spying on Giovanni in the rafters had taught her that much) and noticed it was often mention, leading her to believe that she was the topic of conversation. She did not mind this at all, as she found herself being in a hostage situation much more important, as well as the fact that Ash's so-called mother did not at all look like a mother she would have expected.

But she did have long hair. Mothers, Misty had noticed, generally had long hair. Whether they tied it up or let it flow down, mothers were supposed to have long hair. She could not imagine what such hair would be used for, and wondered how people could stand it getting in their faces. She certainly couldn't. It made her squirm and she spent too much time brushing it and blowing it out of her face…but she was not a mother, never wanted be, and suspected that was why she liked it short.

She liked watching the two of them interact. The girl had never seen such a bright smile on Ash's face and had never seen such a bright smile as Delia's as she held her son close. Delia, she remembered, was the mother's name, though she knew it would be more formal to call her Mrs. Ketchum. It struck her as odd that she would be thinking to treat Mrs. Ketchum so formally when she was in a hostage situation, partially thanks to this woman, and quickly decided it would be best to refer to her as Delia instead.

She risked darting from the bathroom to behind the open door, sitting in the shadow and getting a good look at them through the crack in between the hinge and the block of wood. Now she could hear, now she could see, though they mostly seemed to reminisce rather than discuss anything of importance, yet another thing that struck her as off, as Ash had been off on a dangerous mission. Wouldn't a mother want to know what her son had been up to? Instead, this woman seemed content to hold her son close and talk about thing that didn't matter. It was simply illogical to her, and she itched to leap from the shadows and ask her question.

"And what did you do with her?" Mrs. Ketchum asked, absently fixing her son's clothes so they were all in perfect order. "Did you put her in bed or did you just leave her in the car? Still can't believe you, bringing some Rocket girl home. It's sweet, Ash, but I wish you had warned me. I probably don't have enough for breakfast to feed her too, especially if she's going to eat like you are. Do you think that's just because she's never eaten real food before or, oh, well, never mind." She shook her head and smiled. "So, what's she look like? Is she pretty?"

"Mom!" Ash cried, turning red. "I don't know! We don't like each other like that!"

_Thank Mew,_ Misty agreed mentally, shuffling down lower in the shadows.

"Of course you don't sweetie," Delia laughed. "Then tell me what she looks like. I know you're not too good with words but there had to be something you can relate her to. At least give me her hair and eye color so I can try and pick out some clothes for her."

"You know what Mrs. Yawa looked like?" Ash asked. "The picture you have in the nightstand, the redhead? That's what Misty looks like, except she's got Daisy's eyes. She _could _look like Mrs. Yawa, I guess, all dainty and stuff if she tried, and the first time I saw her she did look that way. She's got a real English ladylike type of thing, but because she's so…tough, I guess, it doesn't really shine through. Does that sort of sum it up?"

"Mmm-hmm, it's like she's hiding behind the door watching us and I can see her as clear as day." She grinned and peered into the shadows, watching the redhead curl up and duck away further with a startled gasp at being caught. "I can see you, Misty. I've been watching you for a while. Didn't you ever get taught how rude it is to eavesdrop? If you're going to listen, at least be polite and introduce yourself first. I'll give Ash a good scolding later for not hearing you come up behind him."

"I was excited to see my mom!" he argued, waving his hands in the air. "I wasn't paying attention to who was coming up behind me because I was so excited to see my darling mother! Wouldn't you let down your guard if you got into home and you knew I was waiting for you?"

"No," she teased, tweaking his nose. "I've always got my guard up. Years of practice and I handled it just fine, even with a love interest to distract me! But, now that you've got a girl home I'm probably going to need to keep the hose close by in case you lose your focus. I'll keep Gary and Brock on their guards too. If you don't keep sharp they'll wake you up with ice cubes down your back. That'll wake you up."

Ash stood up looking between the crack of the door where Misty sat, half hidden in the shadows. "It's alright, you can come out and meet my mom. She's not gonna bite or anything. She's a little crazy but you'll get used to it, especially with the way she cooks."

The redhead stood up and walked to the doorframe, leaning on it and curling her fingers into the white painted wood. Mrs. Ketchum was sitting up in bed, and looking at her up in down that very much reminded Misty of the way one would eye livestock before buying it. Her heart rate leapt at that, and she blurted, "What are you going to do with me? As a hostage I'm not very good. The only reason Ash dragged me along was because he said he was a member of the Rebellion after I kissed him."

The mother raised an eyebrow at her now flushing son, turning away when he assured her he would tell her all the details later, in a less embarrassing situation, preferably through a text message or a letter so he wouldn't have to make any eye contact and asking the girl, "What do you think we'll do with you?"

"Well-" Misty gulped down the thickness in her throat. "-the way you were looking at me it seemed like you were sizing me up. And I…I guess I'd be good at manual labor, I'm pretty strong, a good swimmer I guess. I don't know how to cook or clean much, but I think I could learn. I'll try to be of use to you, because I'd rather not get sold to another region or just to a family. Most slave owners aren't kind people. At least, that's what I've heard and read about."

"Oh, sweetie," the woman laughed lightly. "We'll have you do your fair share but we're not selling you into slavery. I'm not quite sure what we're going to do with you. Probably just take care of you and raise you right, maybe we can even try to persuade you to the side of the Rebellion and get another soldier. But, because of where you grew up, we're probably not going to ever leave you alone. We'll have people watching you in case you try to run."

"I slept the whole way here," Misty murmured, turning her head to the doorframe and pressing it in. "Even if I do get out, where am I going to go? I can't go home, ma'am. I don't know where home is. I…I wouldn't try to pull anything, because what's it going to do? I'd never get away with anything, and even if I managed to kill someone it's not like you wouldn't figure out who did it, and you would end up killing me once you knew I killed someone in your group, and don't tell me you wouldn't, because you have to have at least _one _person who'd get mad enough to kill me." She bit her lip and looked at the two from the corner of her eye. "Is persuasion supposed to be torture?"

"Of course not!" Mrs. Ketchum exclaimed. "Why would we-"

"They brought in a man. Wasn't from the Rebellion or anything, but he knew something…they knew he knew something, because the lie detector went off when they asked him about it. But they needed the specifics, and he wouldn't give it to them. So he was tortured _publicly._ In front of the whole school so we could learn how to and get used to the torture. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, especially not me, because I'm selfish like that. Are you going to torture me?"

"No," she soothed. "We won't. We're not going to hurt you, not on purpose. We're not for violence, Misty. If we could do this our way, we want minimal casualties. We don't want to cause injury. If we could buy Team Rocket and shut it down, or hack into the mainframe and destroy it, we would. We want to stop the violence, because it's horrible to see what it's doing to people. Certain things have to be stopped, even the other regions know it, and if it doesn't end soon this _will _turn into a war. You know that, don't you? Has Team Rocket prepared you for something like that, or are they oblivious to what's going on with the rest of the world?"

Misty took a deep breath and changed the subject. "You don't look like a mom. You're all thin and pretty and stuff. You're not pretty in a mom way, but in a woman way. You look like a _woman_. How come? At the very least you're supposed to be fat."

"It's been a while since I've had Ash, and he's my only son. I've had plenty of time to lose the baby weight, is that what you mean?"

"No. Whenever I read a story or see a movie or anything like that the mother's always fat. She's pretty, but pretty like a mother, sweet and round and warm and stuff. You're not. Like I said before, you're pretty like a woman instead of pretty like a mother. Do you understand what I mean now? You just don't look like what I always thought a mother was supposed to. You're the first mother I've ever seen, and I have to say, it's a bit of a disappointment." She tried a small, joking smile, turning to face the woman, but still uneager to move any closer.

"Stories seem to follow the same path, and they tend to use the same characters. You've got jokesters and pretty girls and bad boys and fun things like that, but mothers and fathers can come in all shapes and sizes. Some are good, some are bad, and no two look the same. I had Ash when I was very young, just a teenager, so I had my early twenties and late twenties to work off the baby fat and look as beautiful as I am today."

"She's older than she looks," Ash explained. "Running around after all the kids and keeping in shape with the Rebellion will do that to you. Plus, she doesn't smoke and all our stuff comes from the garden and is homegrown, so we live a pretty healthy lifestyle. It's like those nasty food cubes, but with taste. She likes to say she's twenty nine, but she's actually in her thirties. She had me when she was nineteen, but she lies about it."

"Ash, do you really have to tell her that?" she inquired with a sigh.

He grinned. "Of course, Mom, she wouldn't know what was going on if I didn't. She's from Team Rocket, age doesn't matter there because they don't fight for husbands and wives. It's done based on a system of pros and cons, like when you're breeding pokémon and you're trying to pass on certain moves to the babies."

"That's disgusting," Delia wrinkled her nose to prove it, then patted the bed next to her. "Want to sit down, Misty? It's the end of the night. Wouldn't you rather lay down?"

"Not really," she said defensively. "And I…I don't know what you said earlier, but I saw you both say my name. That means you were talking about me. What were you saying? I think if you're going to keep me here, and treat me as an equal, I should have a right to know, so you better tell me what it is you said or I'll…well, I guess I can't do much, can I? Life's a bitch, but I'd prefer it if you weren't and you told me if you were saying bad things about me. Then I can prove you wrong."

Delia beamed and clapped her son on the back. "So _that's _why you brought this one home! I'm so proud of you, sweetheart! Would you look at that? We sent you out and not only did you find out where Kenny is, get the layout of the school, but you brought home a winner! Misty, we were just talking about what happened once Ash left, and you played a pretty big part in that, and we were also wondering if just maybe you might have been a relative of a friend of ours. The problem is, your dates don't match up. You're a few years older than what you should be, and the girls aren't even sure if they remember your name right. They were knocked around a lot that night and most of the things prior to that are a bit fuzzy."

"So…you weren't talking bad things about me? Just…about me?"

"If I was going to talk bad about you, don't you think I'd do it to your face?" Ash chuckled, jumping up into his mom's bed, crawling over her and settling on the sheets. "Can I sleep here tonight Mommy and have a special coming home breakfast tomorrow since you love me so much?"

She merely ruffled his hair and kept her eyes on the girl. "Misty, I know things are rough, and it's a weird offer, but since you're in a new place and I wouldn't want you to wake up scared, you and Ash could take my bed and sleep here for the night. I trust my son enough to think that nothing would happen, and though I don't know you very well I do know the pills you've been taken have all but killed any kind of sexual thoughts. What do you say?"

Misty looked around the room absently, then pushed away gently from the frame and stared down the hall. "Is it dangerous outside? I can't run away, but I don't want to be here in the dark. It's weird to be in a new building. Your roof's all slanted, so I can't go up there like I used to back at the school. I'm fine with just wandering around. I can take a pokémon with me if you want. Pikachu and I get along pretty well."

"I don't see the harm in that," Delia encouraged.

Ash sat up quickly, looking back and forth between the women. "No! She doesn't know where she is! Misty, there's a forest out there! You wander around in the dark and you'll get completely and totally lost! You're gonna get raped by some guy and then I'll feel guilty! You can't go outside!" He looked back at his mother with a horrified expression. "You can't possibly be thinking of letting her outside, Mom. You can't!"

"Ash, she's older than you," the brunette chided. "Misty, you can go wherever you want. But, do take Pikachu with you so she can guide you back in case you get lost. She knows this place like the back of her hand, just as well as Ash. She can give you the tour, and anything you miss at night Ash can show you tomorrow. If you're not up to meeting anyone in the morning you can sleep the day. It'll give us more time to get everyone ready for you anyway."

"Mom!" Ash shouted.

But it was far too late. Misty was down the hall, having decided not too long ago that Delia's word far overrode her son's in this house, and only paused a second in her trek outside to call Pikachu from Ash's bedroom and let the creature sit on her shoulder. The mouse didn't talk, having the common sense to know when words weren't needed, and the two of them walked out into the night, wandering through the woods and wading in stream waters. By the time she got a feel for the town and land around, the sun had begun to rise in the East, and Jasmine the pikachu was telling her it was time to go home.

**

* * *

**She walked in early, muddy from the waist down, surprised to find Delia already cooking breakfast. Misty's eyes barely glanced her way as Pikachu leapt off her shoulder, running up the stairs to meet her trainer and zap him awake (or at least cuddle up next to him), and leaving Misty alone with Ash's mother, shifting uncomfortably in the doorway and wondering if she might be able to slip by without her noticing. She bet she could, and tried to slip off her shoes and sneak past her.

She was almost at the stairs when the woman clicked her tongue. "Misty, you're covered in mud. The shower is the first door on the right and I've already set out towels for you by the door. You can wear some of Ash's pants and his shirt, and I've set out a pair of boxers in case your under is dirty too. I figured with Pikachu giving the tour you'd come back filthy. You better not leave any dirt around. I clean this house every day, and you'll do well to respect it. I'm not asking much, but if you do drop any of that hardened mud, promise me you'll pick it up."

"Yes ma'am," Misty said, wandering away from the stairs and looking at the fruit basket on the table. She had read about apples, seen a few pictures and fed a few to pokémon as a morale booster, but she had never eaten one herself. However, without the filling, healthy food cubes her hunger was back. She took the biggest, reddest, juiciest looking apple and sunk her teeth into it with a satisfying crunch. She licked her lips at the sweet juice threatening to fall down her chin.

"Alright, you've got an apple," the mother said, turning from her dishes. She walked around the counter and snatched up her hand tugging her to the stairs and all the way up them. Misty stood on the side, fruit in hand, as Delia turned on the shower and snapped in front of her face, sure to get her attention. "Take a good, long shower. I'll close the door and tell Ash you're in here, but he probably won't be up for another hour. Eat your apple in the shower if you have to, but don't let the water run too long or it _will _get cold. Do you think you can handle all that?"

"I understand, ma'am." The girl took another monster sized bite of her apple and talked around the fruit. "Do you have more stuff like this? Ash gave me burgers but this stuff takes so much better. Can you make stuff that tastes like this?"

Delia ruffled her hair and smiled. "I'll get you fruit and vegetables. It's nice to see a kid eating healthy."

She blinked at the sudden heat rushing in the room, eyes flicking towards the now steaming shower with mild surprise. "The water's hot."

"You'll be getting plenty of hot showers from now on. If you don't like it, turn down the dial." She eyed the girl, who paused in her eating, lips curled around and teeth half sunk in, to look back at Delia. The brunette crossed her arms and rocked on her heels a bit, finally asking, "Why did you kiss Ash? From what I've been hearing the two of you aren't a couple. If you do have any interest in one another, you're pretty keen on hiding it, so what reason could you possibly have for kissing him?"

Misty pulled away from the apple reluctantly. "Tell me first: why did the apple turn brown?"

"It's fine," she waved it off. "They all do that in the air."

"Alright," she nodded, attempting to bite the core. A few moments of explanation later, and the girl finally answered Delia's question. "Well, ma'am, one of my favorite books has a character named Satoshi in it. It's a…well, I guess the details aren't important, but he battles like your son. I promised myself, and, I guess Ash too, that if I ever found someone who battled like Satoshi, I'd kiss him. He fought with Paul and he fought just like Satoshi. It was like it just came out of a novel."

"It didn't mean anything to you?"

"Of course it did!" Misty exclaimed, offended. "I fulfilled my promise. I'm always, _always _good on my word. You must know that, because you let me out last night when I told you I wouldn't run off. Ash didn't want to, because he doesn't trust me. He doesn't tell me a damn thing, and I don't care, ma'am. Your son can have all the secrets he wants." Her expression turned sour and she glared at the floor. "I want another apple."

Delia lifted the girl's chin. "_That _emotion is called betrayal. I'm sure it must hurt to find out you've been betrayed, especially if you barely ever feel."

"I'm not upset. Just angry." She pulled the elder's hand from her face and stepped aside, closer to the shower and toilet, away from the sink. "I'd like to take a shower now, ma'am. I don't think I want to try it hot, so I'm probably going to turn down the water. I'll come down once I'm done, and I don't mind wearing Ash's clothes, as long as they're comfortable and I can run in them. That means they're not loose enough to fall off and they aren't tight enough to keep me from moving too well. Is that too much to ask, or should I just be happy with what I get?"

"I don't know how Ash's clothes will fit you, but we'll keep that running thing in mind when we go and buy you some permanent clothes to wear." Delia smiled, then blinked as the girl quickly began to strip in front of her. One eyebrow arched. "Not a fan of modesty?"

"Nope, but your son's obsessed with it," Misty sighed. "It's annoying. Any time I try to get dressed he starts blushing and runs around for something to hide his face in. Are you going to be the same way, or is it just an Ash thing?"

"It's a boy thing." The woman rapped her knuckles on the counter as Misty disappeared into the shower, giving a little squeal at the new feeling of hot water on her skin. "I'm going to leave the clothes in here on the counter. Just come down and we'll give you something for breakfast. And, remember, if it gets too hot, turn it to the _left_. If you turn it to the right you'll give yourself a nasty burn." She winked. "Just ask Ash."

**

* * *

**Brock was a tall man, towering over both Delia and Ash. He was five years older than the latter, making him twenty one, black, strong, girl crazy, and quite handsome. Features were sturdy as the rock gym he would have inherited if not for Team Rocket, but dark brown eyes held a sort of teddy bear compassion in them. It was that kind of compassion that led every last one of his siblings to leap on him with hugs and kisses and squeals of delight when he came home. The children that messed up his brown pants ("in case we ever fight and I piss myself" he would joke), shirts and vests. But he took it all in good humor.

And it was in good humor that, when Misty came down in Ash's clothes, freezing at the new face, he exclaimed, "Well, whaddya know! Ash didn't only get a new girl, Mrs. Ketchum, he got farther than he ever did with May! Congrats on losing the big V!"

Bright red, Ash glared at his happy face pancake, imagining it to be the dark boy when he stabbed it, and muttered, "I hate you, Brock."

Misty looked at Delia, a little displeased that the only one she had actually grown close too seemed to be at the bottom of the household hierarchy, and she was now in need of a legitimate leader to help her make the right choices, and infer when bad things were happening. So it was to Mrs. Ketchum, and not to Ash, that she accused, "You didn't tell me there was going to be anyone else coming into the house. You just said I'd get breakfast."

"You do get breakfast," she returned brightly. "There's pancakes and sausages waiting for you at the table. I hadn't guessed Brock was going to be over. He didn't tell me. Too many people rush over to the house uninvited. We've briefed him on what's going on, but he doesn't know any of the details. We'll probably have a big group meeting for that. What else?" She tapped her finger on her chin, then held it up when the idea struck. "Oh, yes! Since you didn't get much flavor and Brock's such an excellent cook, he can tell you all sorts of things about that, help you with nutrition and even help you with your pokémon's-"

"My pokémon!" Misty exclaimed, clapping a hand over her mouth. "I've got to let them-"

"Basement," Ash cut her off around a mouthful of food. "Sorry for dumping them down there, but they're with Pikachu and a few of my other pokémon. It's heated, and I don't want to risk leaving your pokémon and my pokémon alone in the snow together. Bulbasaur convinced Squirtle to look a lamppost once. Middle of winter. It took so much time to find a fire type, and then get that fire type to cooperate, then try another fire type and find out they _all _suck."

She walked to her seat and plopped down as Delia scolded her son for saying suck and the boys debated over pokepersonalities and if 'suckitism' was really a word (Misty would have told them it wasn't, but somehow she felt it wasn't her place to butt in, especially when they were being so illogical and didn't bother getting a dictionary). The happy face pancake smiled up at her, and she quickly ate the bacon it had for the mouth and the whipped cream it had for eyes, feeling a little strange about eating something that could look back, and let out a happy moan when she found a new category of taste: sweet.

"What was _that _about?" Ash asked with a grin, watching the girl suck every last bit of whipped cream from her fork. "Good pancake, Mist?"

"Misty," she corrected idly, turning to the mother once more. "What's the white stuff, ma'am?"

"Whipped cream. You like the sweet things, don't you? Well, you had to have something if you don't love cheeseburgers. I don't mind though. Nothing wrong with a good piece of chocolate after dinner. It brightens up your day. I like to snack on sweets all the time. I'll have to get you cookies and candy and things like that." Delia smiled into the distance dreamily, as every mother's goal, hers was to feed any creature that wandered into her home until it was too fat to move.

"Mom!" Ash complained. "Don't fatten her up! And why do you keep talking to _her_, Mist? I thought we were friends."

"It's because you keep calling me a variation of fog when my name's _Misty_. Get it?" She stuck her tongue out, yet another copied gesture she was using amazingly well. "_Why_ is it Misty? Because of the y, you idiot! The reason I'm talking to her is because she's obviously your boss, so she's going to know a lot more than you do. You're the grunt and she's some kind of Commander. I think Brock's some kind of Supreme, since he made fun of you and you didn't fight back. And I didn't get the joke. Why would you think I slept with Ash?"

"You're wearing his clothes," Brock pointed out.

She winkled her nose. "If I sleep with someone I have to wear their clothes? That's strange."

"No, no," Brock shook his head. "You do it because it's fun for you to do, not a rule. Some girls like a guy's jersey or shirt or something because it smells like them."

"That's weird. Why would you want to smell someone? Unless you're wearing it to cover up your own scent from some kind of scanner, I guess. That would make sense." She began to cut her pancake, copying the others' motions. "But then again, most of the stuff you guys do doesn't make any sense at all. Like I don't get why you have hot showers. It wastes the water for cooking and things like that, wastes energy too. It's so much easier just to take them cold." She tucked a piece of pancake in her mouth, only to pull a face at the blander taste. "I don't really like this. Can I just eat whipped cream instead?"

"You can have some sausages." Ash pointed to the ones that rested on her plate.

"Hold on," Brock interrupted. He picked up the syrup and poured it on her plate, thoroughly soaking it in the maple sap before setting it back down and gesturing to her plate. "Go ahead. Try it again. The syrup made it sweet, like the whipped cream you like so much."

She tried it again, eyes widening with delight, and went for the syrup once more. After she had dumped half the syrup on her plate, Ash reached over to snatch it from her and set it down on the opposite end. He looked back at her and gave her a thorough explanation of how much sugar was required to sweeten a pancake, and a brief mention about nutrition. This developed into a playful argument at the table (which Ash horribly lost) about _his_ eating habits.

After delivering a crushing blow to his self esteem, making Ash drop his head to the table, moan and curl up tight, the spiky haired boy spoke to Delia, "Mrs. Ketchum; Tracey and Daisy said they were dropping by. Well, Daisy said she was dropping by and that's why she's dragging along Tracey. She wanted to talk to you about something with cooking or cleaning because there was a stain and I think she's probably just trying to make herself look more feminine in front of him."

"They kept comparing me to Daisy," Misty told him, mouth full of pancake. After another brief lecture of swallowing before talking, she plunged on. "You haven't said anything, but maybe you see it too. They say I've got the same eyes. What do you think about that?"

Brock leaned forward and peered into her face, and she hastily leaned back, blinking rapidly. "I see the eyes. You've got the same nose too, same complexion. You can ask Tracey about it. He's an artist, so he knows all the little details about the human face. He'll tell you if there's really that much of a resemblance. He's a little skittish though, so be nice to him. Ash tells me you're not exactly the friendliest girl in the world."

"Am too," she defended. "He's just a selfish ass. Don't you think he's an ass?"

"That's _exactly _what I've always thought," he exclaimed merrily. "He's an ass! That's perfect. I'll make sure to tell everyone around here about that. Ash Ketchum is an ass. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. I'm glad you're here, Misty. I'm sure you're going to be full of helpful ideas."

"Mom!" Ash screamed.

"Honey, you can be an ass sometimes," she teased, slender fingers lifting a strip of bacon to her mouth.

Ash focused his attention on Misty then, still fuming. "You're not nice at all! I haven't seen you be nice to anyone! Not anyone! I bet you're not even nice now! You're just…you're just faking nice so you can get in good with my family and in the middle of the night you're going to get a knife and kill us all! We're _all_ going to see through your little show and then, oh then everyone will know that deep down inside you're nothing but evil."

"Don't be an ass," she retorted. She began to run her finger along her plate and suck it clean and, since Delia was tired of explaining and well aware of her son doing the same thing, Misty was not corrected. Instead, she looked up and smiled. "Ma'am, I was wondering if I could go back outside and look around in the daylight. I'm not tired, and I promise not to go in the river again. I just want to really look around. I didn't get the chance before. Pikachu took me out way too far and made me visit all her friends."

"Well-" she started.

"I'll be back home before too long," Misty promised quickly. "I just need to walk a bit. It's nice to go outside. Back at the school I wasn't allowed. We could never go out, could we, Ash?"

Ash shook his head, gaping at the girl, then his mother. For _months _since he met her, _months _of joking, playing around, and urging her to be as comfortable with him as possible. In less than a day, Misty had just _smiled _at his mother. It wasn't her copy cat smile she stole from him; it wasn't her small smile; it was a normal sized, sweet, real smile. It was a smile he had never seen, and, if he hadn't been so angry (and he was thankful he was, so he wouldn't stare and make an idiot out of himself) he would have quite enjoyed the happy expression.

"When you put it that way I don't see why not." Delia beamed. "Besides, it'll give us time to brief Daisy and Tracey if you come home late. It's going to be weird to see a girl walking in in Ash's clothes. Stay out as long as you like."

"Thank you, ma'am!" she cried, breaking from the table and racing away.

Ash and Brock watched her race away, and the second she was out of view the older dragged Ash away from the table and up to his room for a private discussion on what he told Delia was "male manners" and what they all knew would be a long, in depth discussion of who Misty was, how far Ash had gone, and, the favorite: was she really the long lost Yawa? Every question made Ash cringe and shy away from the answer, most he didn't know the answer to and a few he just refused to reply.

Meanwhile, Delia smiled at the dishes, and held the glass of orange juice in her hand. She had been a child of a big family growing up, though they had grown apart over the years and she rarely spoke to her siblings anymore. It was because of this that she surrounded herself with people, thanked Mew that Ash made plenty of friends he brought over, and had prayed (before the death of Cypress) for many, many children.

Her heart gave a little flutter as she thought about what the girl had said. It felt like she was getting another child to raise and take care of and all the motherly things she loved so much. The glass was raised to her lips, and she gave a happy sigh: "She called it _home_."

**

* * *

**So…so far we've got: pokeshipping, contestshipping, penguinshipping with a hint of handymanshipping. There will be eldershipping, oh yes, there will be. If this frightens you, turn your browsers to the _Glorious Revolution_ page. Type in "Glorious Revolution" and "eldershipping" and there's a little rant there to tell you all about this cute little couple. If you don't like, it's a minor pairing, so I'm hoping you can suffer through it! I'm not gonna try to convert you, but it IS adorable…to me…and several others…

Be sure to nitpick for EVERY detail if you review! And, yay, I made my deadline!


	14. Eevee

_**Eevee**_

Misty sat on the snow, crossed her arms and sat Indian style, and pouted.

That was plenty weird enough, watching the girl pout like she was a small child. It was painfully clear she wasn't, the innocence had long since left her eyes and she did not have a child=like figure, baby fat that should have been stripped off during her late twenties were already gone, leaving a predator like face behind. But this predator like face could, somehow, soften and smile and pout and act very much her own age when given the chance, when she had a name instead of "Rocket Agent" in front of a number.

(_Why don't you just jump in, honeybunch? Too cold for ya?_)

Misty didn't jump, but casually looked at the pokémon that settled next to her. She sighed in return, "I'm not allowed. I don't mind the cold. Water's too much fun. I already messed up my clothes once, and I can't mess them up again. I'd take them off and jump in naked, but I've already been yelled at a bunch of times for not putting clothes on. I bet I wouldn't catch hypothermia, not if I jumped out and run back inside real fast. It'd be okay. What do you think, pokémon?"

(_Someone's got water trapped in their soul,_) the glaceon said, settling next to her.

It was a pretty creature, a short, thin body led to four paws, all a light blue and deepening in shade the closer they were to the ground. A diamond, the same dark color as the feet spread across its back, the same marking shown on the end of a diamond shaped tail and two diamond shaped, well, _things _was the best way to put it, that slid around her face and dangled down. They weren't ears, as Misty could see those, two light blue diamonds (there seemed to be a common factor in this creature) with a happy medium shade of blue within. The eyes were black, as was the nose, and the face looked very fox-like, very eevee, which led her to assume that she was looking at an eeveelution.

(_I know the feeling. Though I had the blue water blues when I was an eevee. I felt the same way when I first evolved too. Thankfully, what I thought was water lust turned out to be a craving for ice. Nice, smooth ice with wild water rushing under it. Thank Mew I wasn't a vaporeon. Those creatures have a very tough living. They're confined to land when all they want is water. Sad, isn't it?_)

"I don't have blue water blues," Misty argued. "And what about you? It's not icy all year around. Do you melt when summer comes around?"

(_First of all, I'm not made out of snow. I like it, but I won't die without it. Second: Travel. Duh,_) she retorted. (_And I didn't turn into a glaceon _here_, there's only one place in the world I can. It snows all year around there. I never get hot. Here, I get hot, but it's worth it. My trainer has been raising me for a couple years now, and I've never told her how I feel when the weather's just a little warm. It's like I'm in a sauna, but she doesn't need to know that. She makes sure she doesn't let me out anywhere hot, like a desert or a summer day._)

"You should tell her," she said, looking at the fox-like creature. "I bet if she cared about you she'd make sure to keep you cold, give you ice packs and lower the thermostat. She probably does if you're from around here. Humans around here really seem to care about their pokémon. Ash would probably jump off a cliff for his little Pikachu. Delia seems nice enough, but with a kid like that…he had to get it somewhere. I'm sure she'd do the same thing."

(_You know Ash?_) she asked, perking up her ears. She sniffed Misty, then snorted, settling back down. (_I'm not surprised. You smell just like him._)

"I'm wearing his clothes."

(_Why are you wearing his clothes?_) she asked again, this time looking truly confused. (_He doesn't really mate with people, so I don't think that he would start mating now out of nowhere._)

"I didn't mate with him," Misty shook her head. "I just took his clothes because I was in Rocket clothes, and Delia said if I stayed in Rocket clothes I'd get sick, because they were dirty, but I'm pretty sure it was because seeing me in a Rocket uniform would freak too many people out. Ash brought me from the base because he's an ass. He blurted he was in the Rebellion after I kissed him, which wasn't a real kiss, but a kiss because of a promise I made. I don't really want to be here. I'd rather be at the Rocket school, swimming in the pool they've got on the roof and pretending that ass had never shown his face around me."

(_The pool,_) Glaceon smirked to herself. (_Well, once again, we're back to that water lust. You ought to tell someone so they'll let you jump in._)

"I don't have any water lust," she snapped. "Even if I did, why should I tell? You've got your weird ice lust thing which you're not telling your trainer about. If you ask me, you're being pretty hypocritical. I should shove you in the lake and run back to the house with the Ketchums."

(_You should, but you won't._)

She sighed, "No. I won't."

(Have _you told anyone about your water lust?_) she inquired, cuddling a little closer. (_You've got it really bad. It's about as bad as I get on a hot day. It probably doesn't help much that you're sitting in front of a river._) The girl didn't say anything, nor move, so Glaceon slammed her head into the girl's ribs. (_When I sat closer, I meant you could pet me. So, go ahead and pet me. This is a once in a lifetime offer, cuz I'm a very rare pokémon._)

"I don't want to pet you," Misty said, scooting away. "I'm not a petting type of person. I don't like to touch things. Now, don't get me wrong, you're gorgeous, and I'm sure plenty of people would love to pet you. I'm just not the…petting type. Dammit, now look what you're making me do! I'm repeating myself! This would all be a lot simpler if I could take a break and dive into that icy cool, smooth, beautiful water."

(_…Do you want to mate with the water?_) Glaceon asked slowly.

"Kill yourself or I'll do it for you," Misty snarled. Then groaned and fell into the snow. "I can't get my clothes dirty, Mrs. Ketchum asked me not to! But…supposed I did have this water lust thing you're talking about. How would I get rid of it? Should I dive into the water? Can I just drink some and go back home? I took a shower, so shouldn't that take the edge off? Not that there's any edge to take off, but if there _was_."

(_It's got to be actual water, a shower won't work._)

"A shower isn't actual water?" she snorted.

(_Don't be smart! Of course it's water, but not living water like this is. You see, this water has creatures. It gives life. It hasn't been sent through a treatment plant and doused in chemicals and shot through a heater before it got to you. It's the life giving quality that you want from it. It's the same way for all types: fire craves fire, grass craves grass, normal types crave places where they can be at peace and alone, simple normality. And water types…water types have water lust._) She trotted over and bowed her head to the girl's face with a big smile. (_And, love, I've seen it a million times on my girl's face when she talks about Drew: you want the water, and you want it bad._)

"But I'm not a type," she retorted. "I'm not a magmar that craves volcanoes or a prairie dog that craves the soil or a plant that craves the sun! I'm a human!"

(_And humans aren't creatures, like they are? Humans aren't alive? You are very much so._) Glaceon laid down. (_However, humans are strange, like eevees, where your type is not determined by birth. Most people have types, and they have their lust. They crave their element. Once upon a time, these people surrounded themselves with their element, they called themselves gym leaders, and they never had to be separated from their type._)

"Oh, really?" she asked. "And what, pray tell, do you think drove all those trainers to catch all those pokémon, different types too, from their homes? It can't be water lust or fire lust or anything like that, because they varied. They ran all over to catch and train. That was a human desire for power and nothing else. That was logic. There wasn't any fairy tale desire behind that. There's no poetry in going on a journey."

(_Of course there is,_) the eeveelution retorted. (_It's the very same thing that drove you out here: wanderlust._)

"That's a German loanword," she murmured. "The need to travel, how fitting. It's even got the damn word 'lust' in it. Fits the category perfectly."

(_Mmm, and it'll only get worse,_) Glaceon murmured. (_My girl has sense, she won't want to travel forever. She'll want to settle down. But you, you're a different breed. You've got so much emotion inside you it's just shooting out all over, anger, happiness, sadness. You don't show it, but you radiate it. You'll forever hold that wanderlust, and you'll need to find someone else who has it too. There's nothing like travel with a companion. They won't mind when you slip away to settle your water lust, because they'll be fixing a lust of their own._)

"And how am I supposed to find someone to help me with these lusts?" Misty asked.

(_Because they'll be the ones that follow you here, partly because they care, but mostly because they can't stand a moment indoors and have to do a bit of traveling themselves._)

She bounded away, and Misty was left on the bank for a long time, musing on wanderlust and water lust and all the parallels between humans and their pokémon friends. She came up with more than she would have liked, but she guessed it was because the sun had moved in the sky by the time he came and got her. Ash hoisted her to her feet, Brock a bit behind him, and, sleepily now, she barely was able to murmur, "I suppose we are a pretty lustful lot" before collapsing back in the snow and falling asleep.

Neither of the boys could exactly understand what she meant, and opted instead to hoist her up and back to the house.

**

* * *

**Daisy was hugging Tracey as he carried her bridal style down the road. This was his 'punishment' (which he didn't really mind) for calling her fat. She, in turn, called him a weakling who couldn't pick up a puppy. So he swept her up and down the road they went, until the house came into view and he set her on the ground. She was still in a playful mood, however, and not to be sent away she raced up behind him and onto his back, piggy backing all the way to the Ketchum household.

"Tracey, you've got a little something on your back," Delia teased. The boy reached behind him and swung her around so he was carrying her bridal style, then placed her on the floor. "Never mind, you got it. Do either of you two want something to eat?"

"No, Mrs. K, we're fine," Tracey chirped, leaning on the giggling girl. "Even though I _should_ be hungry, because I had to carry her all the way here."

"Well, I _am _a princess, Tracey," she said, squirming out from his leaning arm and smoothing her skirt. "You can't expect me to, like, walk all the way here on my own two feet, can you? It's two miles from the Professor's house and I had to drive from Cerulean, and you know how much I _totally _hate driving, because I always end up, like, driving too fast and I get a million tickets, then I get one for talking back, which I, like, never am. I'm telling the truth: Officer Jenny _was _going as fast I was. It totally isn't fair that I'm the only one who gets a ticket."

Delia beckoned the blonde from the couch, taking in the way she walked. Slender hips swung side to side as she moved, chest was carried high, and every step screamed her feminine prowess to all who looked. All in all, she was quite unlike the tomboyish girl Brock and Ash had gone after not long before. When Daisy sat down next to her, Delia took in her face, trying to see the similar features. The eyes…those were a dead giveaway. Both had small pupils and wide irises, blue and green swirled in a lovely combination. The nose, Delia wouldn't have noticed herself, but now that Brock pointed it out that was very familiar too.

"…Like what you see, Mrs. K?" Daisy asked curiously.

"You said you had a redheaded sister, about the same age as Ash, that Team Rocket killed, didn't you?" Delia asked. Daisy nodded slowly, and the woman plunged on. "It's very important that she's a natural redhead, Daisy. Your mother didn't dye her hair or you're just guessing. She was a redhead with the same eyes as you, and she vanished the night Team Rocket came into your house and killed your mother?"

Still filled to the brim with childish belief, Daisy put up no walls of denial and saw right to the point. "You found Misty."

"Misty?" Delia's eyebrows shot up. "Redhead,no freckles, your eyes, and the same name. It would be one thing if we were talking brunette but in my entire lifetime I've only known three, your mother included. It has to be her, but she says she's eighteen, two years older than Ash. The two of them played together when they were young, your mother and I were pregnant at the same time. She _can't _be two years older, but there's no reason for her to lie."

"The Rocket's had a reason," Daisy said firmly. "Team Rocket wouldn't want us looking for her. Even if we hacked into the system we'd be looking for a sixteen year old. We never would have thought that she was two years older, and even if we guessed they changed her age, I would have guessed they would have put it lower. She was always so short for her age. Is she still? I mean, did you see her?"

"Ash brought her home," Delia murmured. "What are the odds? Then again, why not? If he bumped into her, he could have subconsciously remembered her. That would have been enough. Plus he said he recognized the eyes. They look just like yours. People cling to things they know. He was all alone, so he must have wanted something familiar. It could be her…in fact, it's more likely it's her than not." She bit her lip and shook her head, realizing she was over thinking it.

"So you really think you found her then?" Daisy said eagerly, scooting forward. "You're not, like, pulling my leg? You're dead serious about finding her _alive?_ I have to admit, I never thought we'd find her breathing. Actually, it's probably better if she's dead. If she was brought back from Team Rocket she's probably ruined."

Delia narrowed her eyes. "Wait, how did you know Ash brought her back from Team Rocket?"

"Because Ash was at TR, duh," Daisy grinned.

"And how did you know _that_?"

"Who _didn't _know that?" Diasy returned, looking at Tracey. "I didn't even know that was supposed to be a secret. The guy at the burger shop knew Ash was out there. That's one of the least secret secrets this place has ever had. In fact, the only thing less secret than that is whether or not Violet dyes her hair so she doesn't look like Lily, and everyone knows the answer to that. But maybe we should be talking about Ash bringing home my adorable renegade sister?"

"Does everyone really know about that?" Delia asked herself. "We just can't keep secrets like we used to. People used to be suspicious if the pinned really dropped or if crickets were really chirping, and now you kids know everything. You gossip a lot worse than we did. Could you try not to discuss these kinds of things with civilians?"

"What am I supposed to discuss than?" Daisy asked. "My whole life goes around this place! When I go out and get my hair done, my nails done, and all the other nice pampering stuff that I won't go into because of Tracey over here-"

"Thank you," he sighed with relief.

"Right. Well, what am I supposed to talk about during all those hours, the weather? There's nothing to talk about but this place Mrs. Ketchum! I'm sorry, but a girl can only discuss so much fashion with those airheads at the beauty salon. They don't know the difference between last month's Cosmo and this month's. I can't talk to them. It's ridiculous. I don't tell them anything important, it's mostly rumors I'm spreading around to throw Team Rocket off our trail. See, so I'm technically helping, not hurting. Tracey, back me up."

"Whatever she's ranting about is probably right, Mrs. Ketchum," Tracey agreed, hoping that he wasn't agreeing to anything completely idiotic. "So, does Misty know that she may or may not be the youngest of the Yawa tribe?"

"We haven't clued her in," Delia shook her head. "I'd like to keep it under wraps. If she finds out…I don't want to know what kind of complications it would cause. She might feel that we're trying to guilt her into staying with us…that would probably lead to a fit. The last thing we need from her is a fit, especially if she's your little sister. Didn't you say she used to bite hard enough to draw blood? If she did, I can only imagine that it's gotten worse."

"She was angry," Daisy said, tapping her chin. "She never really fit in with us either. She was violent. She didn't like to put on make up or do any of things ordinary little girls do. She was a big tomboy. But I guess that would explain how she got so close to Ash and why she was such a big fan of Team Rocket." She corrected herself, "_is _a big fan of Team Rocket."

"She's very polite," Delia defended.

"That's nice," Tracey agreed, starting to feel oddly left out. The artist took out his sketchbook from the shoulder bag he carried, black locks falling over his angled face. He mostly tuned them out, still listening for his opening to the conversation, but continued to focus his dark eyes on the drawing and scratch his pencil across the paper.

"That is nice. She's got manners, so we won't have to teach her those. Oh! Speaking of teaching people manners, Gary's coming over pretty soon. He found some kind of pokémon or evolved some pokémon of his, I don't know. Whatever it is, he's real excited about it and can't wait to show it off to everyone. May's released a couple of her pokémon into your yard, and right now she's somewhere in the front carrying for that egg we found last week. Um…she's got Drew with her! That boy needs to learn some manners too…anyways, the only one left is Professor Oak since Brock _should _have come over earlier, and the professor says he's very busy and can't come."

"He can't come to meet Ash like everyone else?"

"Ash is more of the secondary reason, Mrs. K. Everyone wants to see him, but they could have waited until later or another day," Daisy laughed.

"The burger guy spread the rumor that Ash has a hot chick with him. That's why Gary's been fixing his hair in the mirror all morning. May's excited to see him because, supposedly, this is Ash's new girlfriend and if Misty's a bitch, pardon my language, she'll have to kill her. Drew's here because he's just plain curious, and May dragged him along. She's still trying to fool people into thinking that she doesn't like him. I don't know why she tries. No one believes her. And-"

"That's nice, Tracey," Delia cut him off, leaving him feeling unappreciated once more."Daisy, you three had a mission of your own, didn't you?"

She nodded. "Uh-huh. We hacked the Rocket system again, this time with some programs to disguise it all. Gary was a big help in the program design. Sneaking it in wasn't a problem, the guards were all male and they practically melted when they saw three pretty girls walk in. Violet and I kept them distracted while Gary loaded in the hardware. With the protection they have, we can't load in any kind of virus, not yet, but we can focus on continuing to hack the system, find out information to keep people safe from raids, and hopefully we'll be able to hack all the way into it quick enough to shut it down."

"You can't shut it down with a click or two," Gary said, wandering into the room with a smug look. His brown, messy hair was spiked up over brown, messy eyes. White skin made quite a contrast to the deer-brown color of his hair. His eyes seemed aged, eyes that truly had been through a war, seen parents, friends, and family slaughtered in front of his own eyes, and it matched the scarred 'R' that had been scratched into his cheek with a blade as a young boy, and had grown with him over the years. "It'll take many, many months of work, think you can handle that long without exploding?"

"What, you don't think I can handle work?" Daisy snapped."I do my fair share! I lift weights and I'm very much in shape."

"I think your body can, but your brain can't," he snorted. "Daisy, you don't have much going on upstairs, I'm sorry to tell you. I'm sure it's quite a shock." He looked to Tracey, messing the boy's hair with a smirk. "I understand why you could love a thing like that, you're more of a watcher than a listener, buddy."

"You little obnoxious bastard," Daisy muttered in good humor.

"Big, brainless bimbo," he shot back. "Morning Mrs. K, I rushed over the second I heard that Ash got home. He had a day or two of extension on his assignment, didn't he?" She smiled and nodded. "Huh, that's weird. I wouldn't have thought you'd let him be an hour over the cutoff date. But I brought over an egg, an eevee egg. It's from grandpa's ranch. See, the poor thing is shiny and the mother abandoned it. From what we can tell, its mother was a Flareon, a first time mother, and it didn't know a damn thing about caring for its young. It was in one of the fake volcanoes we set up. The egg's been overheated for a very, very long time, but the pup's still alive."

"Shouldn't you keep it in an incubator?" Tracey asked. 'It's freezing outside."

Gary shook his head. "I've got it in my backpack here, and it doesn't need to be really, really warm. It's pretty much grown by this point and it only needs a little more time to hatch. I need someone with a lot of time on their hands to care for it, and since I'm going to have my hands full helping the girls with the newly installed spy program, and Ash is the only one who's recently completed a mission, I was hoping he had some time off."

"You rushed over here to see the hot chick, didn't you?" Tracey accused.

"Secondary motive," Gary argued. "Besides, word around town is she has some freaky hair color, probably blue or purple like Dawn's or Violet."

"Vi dyes her hair and the hot chick's probably a Yawa."

His eyes widened. "There's fucking _four _of you? But your mom was a total _babe! _You can't have a bunch of kids and still have a banging body like your mom. One or two I could understand, three it pushing it but I can still get it, but _four_? You can't have had four! What even makes you think that this is your little sister? Did she walk in with a giant birth certificate glued to her forehead? What could you all _possibly _think? You've just met her!"

"She's a no-freckle redhead," the three retorted.

"Ooh, that's pretty good," Gary nodded. "I feel sorry for the poor girl, having to put up with you three as older sisters." He paused. "Well, if she's shipped in from Team Rocket, she probably won't have too much to do. She like eggs?"

"Who likes eggs? I'm hungry enough for eggs," Ash said, holding open the door so Brock could bring in the sleeping girl he piggybacked. "We found Misty down by the river with May's glaceon. I think it attacked her because Misty muttered about us all being really lustful and then fell face first into the snow, but that doesn't sound like Glaceon…Misty also hasn't slept for a while, is plagued with guilt, got ripped away from the only home she knows and has to spend a lot of energy completely hating me, so those are all pretty big reasons. I could understand if she collapsed because of that, but I don't know about the whole lustful thing."

"Do you really think she's a Yawa?" Daisy asked.

"Mom!" Ash shouted, the others tried to shush him, but he rolled his eyes. "Please, if you had seen her fall asleep you would know that she's not waking up any time soon. I thought we weren't going to tell!"

"I said we shouldn't tell _Misty_, I didn't say anything about anyone else," Delia debated hotly. "Don't yell at me, Ash. It's rude. Besides, everyone was going to find out sooner or later. Misty is most likely a Yawa, and we were having a pleasant discussion until you came in and started yelling."

"Sorry," Ash muttered, scratching the back of his neck. Delia and Daisy went into a conversation, and Brock walked upstairs to drop off the redhead in her bed. "What'd you say about eggs, Gary?"

"We've got an eevee egg for you. If you're not too busy, do you think you could take care of it? It's shiny," Gary tempted with a smile.

Ash glared. "What's wrong with it?"

"Why does there have to be something wrong with it?"

"Because you're _you_. You're not going to give me a shiny pokémon. You hate me." Ash shoved his hands in his pockets and continued to give his best accusing eyes to the auburn haired boy. "There has to be something wrong with it. I'll still take care of it if you don't have the guts too, but I want to know what's wrong so I can prepare if I have to. Mom, do you know what's wrong with it? It's possessed, isn't it? Or worse, you got it from that really angry rhydon and it's going to come and run me through for stealing its baby?"

"No," Gary said, pulling out the brown and white egg from his bag. "It was abandoned. I need someone with lots of time on their hands to take care of it. You just completed a mission, and even when you don't, I figured you'd be able to carry it around in one of those baby harnesses."

Ash walked forward and took it from him, putting his ear to the shell. "It's pretty big. I can hear it wiggling around inside. Little monster's already got claws. It's got brown, so what, an Ursaring? But it's got white on it so it…" He stiffened and stared at his lifelong friend. "And _eevee_, Gary? They're already getting suspicious that Oak isn't raising approved types. You've got an _eevee _on that farm of yours? How are you going to hide it when they come for inspections?"

"We only have a Flareon," Gary said calmly. "You don't need to worry. She knows how to hide. The important thing is keeping this egg safe and hidden, especially after it hatches. It was overheated for way too long and it's going to be weak for a long time. Odds are it's going to cry nonstop when it hatches. You're the only one here who's free. You're not my first choice, Ash, I won't lie, but you're not my last. Can you take care of it?"

"There's not much choice, is there? Where else can it go?" Ash asked rhetorically.

"Actually, I was thinking ever since I first heard the rumor…and now that she's a gym leader descendant, don't you think she might be pretty good at taking care of it?" Gary asked tentatively. "She's not going to have anything to do, and if she's going to keep running around outside like she did today, that's perfect conditions for the baby. Pokémon tend to travel. Even eevee's are rolled around in their eggs when they're traveling from nest to nest."

Ash rubbed the egg. "I'll try to ease her into it. She won't take it if I outright ask her. She's got to be bribed and tricked."

"You can trick her?" Gary laughed, while Tracey covered up a snicker.

Ash blushed. "No, but Pikachu seems to be pretty good at it. I'm not saying that we have to lie and cheat to get her to take it, it's just a matter of making her think it was her idea to take the egg. She's really annoying with it. She won't do anything I ask her to. I guess I can't blame her. Team Rocket hasn't made her do a damn thing. They just checked her into the system, and barely at that. They locked her in without an age, a rank, or a name. It's just her number. They don't have her do anything, go to class, take tests, but from what I've heard she's one of the few people to meet Giovanni, and she had a body guard/escort until the girl was killed."

"That doesn't make any sense, Ash," Delia said, turning to him. "You didn't tell me any of that last night."

"I didn't get the chance to tell you everything the other night, Mom. There's a few things I_ can't _tell you for Misty's safety and a few things I can't just because I promised. I kind of ruined it at the end but telling her I was in the Rebellion, but I had her trust before." He scuffled his foot on the floor. "Crap. She won't talk to me and there's still a bunch of information I need out of her about Giovanni and the whole organization. I think she knows it better than anyone else."

"It's like she was special interest to Giovanni, and then he just forgot," Tracey said, more to himself than the others. "Didn't he do the same thing with the other three Yawa girls?"

"Ash too," Delia murmured, glancing up and making sure no one had heard her slip. "Kids, don't you think we ought to clue May and Drew in?"

"They're here?" Ash asked brightly. "That's pretty awesome. I wanted to hear how things were going in Hoenn since I've been gone. I heard a few things through Team Rocket, but it was so garbled and censored that, by the time I got it, I couldn't understand a damn thing."

"Don't swear," she scolded absently. "Shouldn't you go say hello to May and Drew?"

"What if they're making out?" Ash argued. "I don't really want to watch them make out."

"Oh, sweetie, is it because she broke up with you?" Delia asked.

"No, and for the last time, we broke up mutually. We broke up _together. _We both decided that it wasn't going anywhere, and I don't like her. I never really liked her in the first place." He scowled, and Gary took the egg back before Ash crushed it, declaring he was going to dump the egg on Misty's bed and then running off to do so. "I don't want to see _anyone _I know making out. Like I don't want to see you and Professor Oak going-"

"I get the picture," she said quickly, brushing the hair from her face that really didn't need to be brushed. "So Misty's just asleep, is that it? You checked to make sure she wasn't hurt or anything, didn't you? You don't really think Glaceon attacked her?"

"Mom, she's _fine. _She's just sleeping. And now she gets to sleep with a damn eevee egg. _And _it's a shiny eevee. What is this, some kind of Mary Sue fanfiction?" Ash tapped his chin. "Though I guess she sort of can't be, because I know I'd kick her butt in battling and I'm a lot stronger than she is. She's pretty fast, but what's speed if you can't move? I've got that covered." He scrunched up his face. "What were we talking about?"

"Go say hello to May and Drew," she ordered, waving him away.

He stomped out, glaring at his feet as if they have been the ones to betray him, and began a vicious, muttered chant of, "I don't want to see May and Drew. I don't even _like _May and Drew. I don't like the way they look or the way they talk or the fact that _he _likes Hoenn better and though _she _won't admit it, _she _would go to Hoenn in a heartbeat if things got even just a little bit worse. I don't _want _to see May and Drew."

**

* * *

**"So, I bet you've heard more stories than me…what do you think? I have a shot?" Gary asked Brock, both looking at the sleeping girl yet to receive her eevee.

Brock crossed his arms thoughtfully. "From what I've heard, she has no sex drive. She might kill you if you try anything. You're not getting away with your original Gary Oak charm. It won't work if you can't turn a girl on. Makes you wonder, though, can a girl with limited emotions really care for an egg? I guess it's a nice thing, because she can't get surprised or angry and break it, but will it be able to hatch without love?"

"Incubators don't love, and lots of eggs hatch there."

"True, true," he said, nodding wisely. "Still, can you believe Ash brought a girl home? And a looker? I can't believe he even got her to talk to him. He doesn't deserve a pretty girl like this. I don't get pretty girls and look at Ash, girl after girl falls into his lap and the idiot doesn't want anything to do with them! And now this girl gets an eevee, because I have to do my own stupid mission with stupid Team Galactic. I don't even _like _Sinnoh."

"She is hot." Gary walked forward, half way to the girl, then froze. "Is it weird that I'm scared? What if she shoves the pillow down my throat or suffocates me or something? I don't fight with crazy people, Brock. You know how I feel about crazy people."

"Be a man," Brock said, pushing him a little farther forward. "Give her the egg and then we'll run."

"How's she gonna know what to do with it?" Gary hissed. "What if she tries to eat it?"

"Why would she eat it?"

"She's a Rocket, dude! Who the hell knows what the fuck they do! It's probably creepy. I don't want to risk it. You're a big guy. She knows you. You try to give her the egg. Wake her up and put it in her lap, then just run. I'll be out the door before you, but I promise to leave it open so you can make a break for it too." Gary grinned. "See, if she hits you in the face, there won't be a difference in looks. I get hit, and all the girls in the world begin to cry."

"I'm not going to wake her up! She nearly killed Dawn and Pikachu!" Brock cried, remembering the stories Ash had told him. "No way in hell. _You're _made of steel. _You're _awesome. _You _have a chance of her taking a liking to you and not punching you in the face. Therefore, _you _wake her up and give her the egg."

Gary's face lit up with delight. Snapping and pointing at the black man beside him, he exclaimed, "We'll drop it on the bed with a sticky note! We'll write: This is your egg, enjoy it! Then we can run and nobody gets socked in the nuts!"

"Great idea!" Brock agreed, pulling out the paper and pencil from his pockets.

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Why do you have sticky notes in your pocket?"

"I stick them to my sibling's foreheads so I can remember their names, but they keep peeling them off," Brock joked, scribbling on it in his neatest handwriting. "It's a pretty important tool in my house. I use it to tell the kids what not to eat in the fridge, what not to touch, to tell them what I need them to do, where I went. I carry them everywhere. It's just a force of habit now. You should carry them too, they're pretty useful."

"Oh, sure, do they come in just homo, or can I find some in hetero?" he snorted.

"Ha ha. You should be grateful. You don't even have to touch her, and _don't _turn that into anything dirty." He glared pointedly at the boy, who grinned back.

Brock gently smoothed the yellow sticky note on the egg, making sure not to jostle it while firmly keeping it stuck. Gary carefully, ever so carefully, set the egg on the bed, close to her as his joking, boyish bravery would allow, before spinning around and rushing off with Brock, the two clambering down the stairs and interrupting not only the conversation between the trio inside the house, but tackling Ash into the snow and ruining the outside one as well.

In the mean time, Misty opened her eyes, taking in the egg with surprise. Her fingers grazed the smooth shell, cocking her head to the side with curiosity, first at the note, then at the almost enjoyable vibrations under her fingers. The egg was coming soon, she was sure, and the thought urged her to bring the egg to her breast, to inspect it more carefully, almost as if it would be a worthy investment to keep. She lowered her ear to the shell and listened to the small mewing inside, pulling back with a satisfied look.

She smiled and settled into the bed, hugging it close and murmuring, "I can't believe someone let go of an eevee."

**

* * *

**Sorry it's short, but it has a purpose. I had to introduce, like, thirty characters and I _still _have May, Drew and possibly Zoey to go.  
And the eevee…bleh, part of me hates to be so damn clichéd, not only an eevee but a _shiny _one at that, but there's been so much insight on them since they're so adorable, and everyone believes they're rare, very powerful creatures. If they were, my opinion is that they'd been banned awfully quickly to civilians. I can't use Togepi because, well, it's an evil life-sucking egg created to drain Misty of all the personality and spunk that made that show worthwhile, Gyarados is already obtained, as well as Psyduck and Starmie, and an eevee is the only thing that can work with what I want to do.  
Shiny…well, I can't have a little deformed creature for what I want and it had to be abandoned. Plus, I'm trying to erase the image that shiny is wonderful. It's a genetic defect, like albino people. Being shiny would suck for a pokémon. It would. It really, really would. Plus, heh, we'll be connecting some hypothetical dots later…


	15. Misconception

_**Misconception**_

May and Drew could have passed for siblings. Each had sharp features that gave the illusion they were closer to Brock's age than Ash. May's hair was long and brown, though Drew's was long and green, but both had the same, silky natural shine that was hard to find without endless hair care during teenage years. Her eyes were blue, his were green, but both were big and round and had a softness in them that was genuine for May and faked for Drew. Both noses were a little too pointed, foreheads just a little too low, and both were a little too tall and still waiting to grow into their bodies. Surely, if one had taken a glance, they would have assumed Drew or May died his or her hair, in an effort to escape sibling conformity.

"Ash!" May exclaimed, running forward and hugging him tight. "Oh Mew! I'm so glad you made it back okay! After what happened with Kenny…and I sent Dawn to tell you so you have to know what happened to Kenny. You know what happened to Kenny, don't you?" He nodded briefly. "Right! So you know what happened to Kenny. I was so worried that they might have gotten you too, because if they got Kenny with the kind of genius he has, and, let's face it, we all love you but you're not a genius, I couldn't believe that they wouldn't get you! But you managed to escape somehow even though it should have been impossible!"

Drew grinned, sitting on the wooden bench his mother had placed in the garden, legs apart and looking as relaxed as could be. "You got a girlfriend."

Ash gulped, mistaking it for a threatening, predatory gesture, and held up his hands to show he wasn't touching her. "We're not like that. We're just friends and we're hugging! Friends hug! And I'm not touching her, she's touching me! I don't even feel like she's a real girl! She isn't to me! She's like a sister I swear!"

May grinned and pulled away a bit, hands still on his shoulders, to laugh. "He means he heard about the redhead you brought home. Is she really the youngest Yawa? That is so cool! I never would have thought you would bring a girl home! I mean, I've known you since I was ten and you've always been pretty much asexual. Even when we kissed you didn't seem all that interested in it. I kind of always thought you were gay, but you still could be and you brought home a gal pal."

"I'm not gay! Why does everyone think I'm gay? I…" he groaned and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Misty's not my girlfriend. We're just friends, like me n' May. I brought her because…well, there was a lot of stuff that happened and I had to bring her back. She can help us a lot, since she knows all the plans, so does Meowth…I've got to get him out of that pokeball I put him in. I'll do that in a minute. But I bet you haven't heard what Misty got!"

"Did she get the red hot love of an idiot whose only talents are to annoy those around him and a freaky connection with pokémon?" Drew suggested with a smirk.

"No!" Ash snapped. "Because I _don't_…forget it. Gary found a shiny eevee egg that the mother abandoned. She wouldn't take care of it because of the whole genetic defect, doomed to hell shiny thing. Plus, it needs constant care because it was found near a volcano and the heat nearly killed it. It's probably weak and not going to be very good for battling, but it's probably going to be cute enough to make up for it once it evolves."

"Is she hot?" Drew asked, pushing to his feet with a quiet grunt. He flipped his hair out of his face and stood in a relaxed, cool pose. "I could understand what's going on if she's hot."

Ash gulped nervously, Drew bothering to get to his feet meant he was now seriously involved, instead of making snide little comments. Ash didn't like it when Drew went into attack mode, because at the end of the lecture, Ash could only mutter something like your face under his breath. He silently willed the other lad to sit, but as he approached closer, Ash could only squeak out, "What do you mean, Drew?"

"I mean, you would never give up a shiny pokémon, much less an eevee at any other time. That means you have to have some kind of special interest in the girl and want to know how she'll handle it, that or you really like her if you're willing to give it up. Your crazy denial suggests, since you have no reason to fear that I'd attack you like I would if you were somehow stealing May away from me, that you have a crush on her. Plus, judging by the slight read in your cheeks and your eyebrows going up, even though you tried to hide it and keep it down, when I asked if she was hot, you're trying to hide your thoughts that maybe, just maybe she's a banging hottie."

"Been taking lessons from Tracey?" Ash muttered.

"Actually, yeah. I figured, spies watch, and no one knows more about watching than a watcher." Drew smiled at his girlfriend, who had just a few moments before released Ash to swing her arms at her sides, feeling left out and slightly lonely. "You should take some lessons from him too. You'll be able to know what to hide to keep all your secrets secret, and you might be able to figure out if she likes you too." The boy laughed. "I'm betting not. You're pretty hard to like."

"I'm sick of this. There's a revolution going on, and you realize you're talking about my love life? Is my love life really the cornerstone to the revolution?"

"Yes," May answered with a giggle. "Now, come on, tell us all about that pretty little girl. Normally, I wouldn't pry, but it's been so boring without you around, Ash. You're always making some kind of trouble with people. Like, when you went and TPed Drew's house as a way of initiating him into your little group." Drew cleared his throat. "Alright, so they weren't really initiating you and we all hated you at the beginning but I really love you now and I was the one trying to get them to stop. Ask Ash, he'll tell you!"

Ash nodded. "She was a killjoy. Still is. She's way too nice. Part of me is hoping that you'll manage to convince her to be a little more evil. If she keeps acting so nice we'll never get anything done. May, you'll be face to face with a Rocket and you'll try to let them off with a warning when they punch you in the face. You're going to have to protect her all the time. I wouldn't want that burden on my shoulders. Too much work."

"Well, it's only that much work because you always get into trouble," May insisted.

"So, where's Max?" Ash asked, shoving his hands in his pockets at the chilly air. "You usually don't go anywhere without him. Did you finally stop freaking out whenever he leaves your side?"

"I never freaked out to begin with," she snapped. "We were in the mall and he vanished, alright? He completely and totally vanished. I had no idea where he went. It was freaky! So, okay, he was in the video game section with you and there wasn't a shootout or anything but there could've been. It's a war, Ash; excuse me for thinking that my brother could get shot in the face. I want him to live and he's not very brawny or brainy. He can't defend himself! He's got a slakoth, Ash, a freaking slakoth!"

Drew began mouthing behind his girlfriend, asking if it was a true story or if she was only joking. Ash grinned and nodded. And May began to spin back and forth between the two, who had now wiped their faces clean of any emotion, while she frantically tried to figure out what had been going on while she was innocently explaining her story of how easy it would be for her precious, defenseless little brother to die. She never did, and eventually they moved onto a quick synopsis of Ash's time in the school.

"Kenny's in a _cage_?" May asked, clapping a hand over her gaping mouth. "How could they do that? I mean, he's not an animal! He's a human being! And human beings don't belong in cages! Neither do pokémon! Or animals! I don't understand how people can be so cruel!"

"They're not the friendliest corporation in the world, May. And, let's face it; every government has their hard times. Pikachu had Meowth talk to Kenny, and he hasn't been tortured, hasn't been hurt. They feed him nicely. He's gotten steak before. They take him out; sit him at a table, Giovanni even talked to him once. He didn't try to pry out any kind of information. Kenny asked him about it, and the only thing he said was that he liked to treat his guests with care. He'd give Kenny a room, but he didn't think Kenny would accept it and he didn't have any room that didn't surround him with Rockets. He gave Kenny pillows and blankets."

"Does he ever let him walk around?" Drew asked.

Ash paused, then rolled his face up to the white clouded sky. There was barely a wisp of blue to be found. The clouds were very thin, so that he would have imagined he could see the blue beyond it if the sun could spare a moment to shine a bit brighter. His home was a beautiful place, a white country house with a white picket fence. The place had never been clogged with pollution, barely touched by human hands. May had come from a town, so had Drew, Brock, Tracey, the Yawa's, nearly everyone he had ever met. He wondered if they quite enjoyed it like he did and if their thoughts on running around were to find a computer or a shopping mall, whereas his was to be released back here.

"It's not the kind of place you want to run around in. I'm sure Kenny's a lot happier in that cage downstairs than walking around in the first floor of the basement. It's not a pretty place. I'll spare you the details, mostly because I don't want to talk about them." Ash set his eyes on them quickly, a strange, curious light behind them. "I've also been wondering…no, never mind." He shook his head. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I can't worry about it now."

"What is it, Ash?"

He sighed. "Don't know. Weird ideas. Just some strange stuff that can't be right. Just a bit of a mystery. I think that…well, I know one thing: there's something going on in Team Rocket that we're not even thinking of. It's right in front of our faces and…I feel like I've got some kind of clue to what it is, but I can't figure out the whole mystery! I just don't get it! It's right _there_! I mean, I know it. There's something dangerous and I…" He took off his hat so he could tangle a hand on his hair.

May put a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "You're probably just stressed."

"Or your spidey sense is tingling," Drew smirked.

Ash bowed down to sweep up a snowball, and then proceeded to launch a full blown snowball fight with the green haired boy, which ended with May and Drew double teaming him and leaving him with nothing else to do but resort to a pokémon battle, which, due to a sudden down pour of icy sleet, was called on account of the weather, and this finally led to everyone racing inside for hot chocolate and Brock's warm apple pie.

**

* * *

**Max was May's sibling, though you wouldn't know it to look at him. His hair was black and short, his eyes, hidden by thick black glasses, were a common shade of brown and more narrow and calculating than his doe eyed sister. He was twelve, and looked it. He hadn't hit a growth spurt yet, hadn't lost an ounce of his baby fat, his face much too round but all too cute. Those features were focused on the sleeping girl, still clutching the egg, as he crouched on the other side of the room. Slakoth, a creature with the appearance of a two toes sloth but for its light brown color and three dark brown stripes on its back, wrapped itself around Max's chest, dozing in its typical lazy style.

"Are you going to keep staring at me or are you going to tell me who you are?" Misty said quietly without opening an eye.

The boy jumped and clutched the little creature close, looking closely at the girl. She hadn't made a single motion, and still looked as if she was sleeping. He would have guessed she was sleep talking, if he hadn't been scared out of his mind. "I'm Max, ma'am."

Blue appeared as lashes fluttered open, widening in slight surprise. Her fingers slid over the egg, intrigued by the tiniest bumps she could feel along the shell. It was warm from her body heat, and comforting to touch. "You're just a kid. I didn't think you were going to be a kid. I was expecting Brock or someone around my age. Ash didn't say…you can't possibly be in the Rebellion, can you? Then again, kids are susceptible, and just because Team Rocket said that they're sentimental towards kids doesn't mean it's true. There are fallacies on either side. I shouldn't be so shocked. But you look like a kid more than Ash does. Do you get that a lot?"

"Never," Max said, making a sad attempt to deepen his voice. "I've always been told I'm very mature for my age. I'm very intelligent."

"Mmm," she said with a nod, sitting up slowly. "I'm sure you are. Why don't you come over here and give me a little proof? Take the egg, and tell me everything you can figure out about it just from the feel and look of it. You can put your ear to it to listen inside. It's pretty cool, actually. It's moving around a lot, so you can hear it pretty clearly. And be careful, it'll wiggle sometimes and I wouldn't want it to fall and crack, would you?"

Max shook his head, and began to pet the slakoth around his neck. "I don't think I'm supposed to."

"It's alright," Misty smiled. "It's my egg. You can touch it if you want."

"No, I mean I don't think I'm supposed to go near you," Max said uncomfortably. "My sister was warning me because…you're a Rocket. She wanted to see you for herself to make sure you were okay. She was going to get a good look at you, and then say if she thinks you look nice or not. I'm twelve. I can take care of myself, but that doesn't mean that I can fight you off if you're hiding a big, dangerous weapon or something. So, uh, I shouldn't be in here even now, probably, because you're awake and you could just jump across the room and kill me or something."

"If I was going to kill you, I would have done it already. And, if I did kill you, it would only result in my downfall. No one else would have any motive to kill you, we're alone, and it's not like I'm on a mission. Killing you has no purpose." She held out the brown and cream egg to him calmly. "Come on, I want to see how smart you really are. Take the egg and tell me exactly what's inside it. Using your senses, you should be able to figure out a thing or two about its type, age, health. I'm sure you can do it."

"I'm not sure," Max swallowed, but he leaned forward with an eager light in his eyes, licking his lips in a knowledge lust to figuring out the challenge.

"It's all okay," Misty said with all the patience she could muster. "I'm not going to hurt you. You know I won't, I've no reason too, and you know Ash is a good guy. He's a good judge of character and I don't think he'd bring someone home that would endanger you or anyone else he cares about. I asked you a question, Max, aren't you going to answer it?"

The boy debated internally for another moment, then rushed forward to take the egg into his hands. Misty noticed that he took no special care in the way he moved because of the creature clutching to his chest. Obviously, they had grown used to each other. Slakoth was fine to snore and cling, and Max realized there was not a thing he could do to ever wake up the sleepy sloth. It was almost the way Ash moved with Pikachu, though, even if the thing was clinging, Ash and Pikachu seemed to be one body, one positively unnatural without the other as if they could separate the head from the body whereas Max and Slakoth were two extremely friendly individuals.

He ran his fingers over the creamy surface, yanking away when he felt it shiver as the pup inside began to claw at the shell. Misty gave him an encouraging smile, and he put his hand back on the egg. He dropped his ear to it to listen, face scrunching up with concentration. He hoped to hear some kind of signature yelp, something that would let him know what it was. It didn't, perhaps with vocal chords not fully formed it lacked the ability. Max had studied many pokémon, but eggs weren't his forte. He could only guess that, due to the brown color of the egg, it was some kind of normal type. His face flushed a bit at his sudden realization that he had no idea of how to tell.

"You know what it is, kiddo?" Misty asked, pulling the egg back to her torso. "Don't worry if you can't get it. I've had a lot of practice at Team Rocket. We do it so, if we ever come across some in the wild, we know which ones are worth taking home. I was one of the best in my class at that."

"Did they give you prizes?" Max asked eagerly.

She smirked. "No, there weren't any prizes. You just got a good grade. You didn't even get to keep the egg, but I didn't really care. Nobody did." She paused and began rubbing the egg. "Well, that's a lie, I guess. No point in lying here. I did get attached to the eggs every so often. There were times when we would keep them until they hatched, and then they were taken away. The one time…one time I got to keep the baby, but it eventually was taken away. It was a togepi."

"A togepi!" Max exclaimed. "Those are mega rare! Does Team Rocket still have it?"

"No," Misty murmured, tracing a shape on the shell. "It mysteriously escaped somehow. It was tracked all the way to the Mirage Kingdom, than vanished. It was the strangest thing. I can't imagine how it happened. I'm sure you can't think of how it would either, right, Max?"

"Yes ma'am. I've got no idea," he agreed quickly. He began to pet the creature around his neck, leaning back a bit and relaxing at the feel of the soft fur. He wasn't too sure what he thought about her now. She seemed nice, but she had a weird way of doing it, ways that usually added a little hurt to the help. It would be so much easier if she wasn't so bluntly honest, or if her eyes were so creepily open. He had a feeling that the moment she didn't like him, she would be sure to let him know. It seemed awfully Ash-like, in a way.

"That's good." She nodded agreeably and then made the poor boy jump when she wrinkled her nose and leapt to her feet. She took a few quick steps to the door; egg still clutched in her arms, and rested her ear against it. After a moment of that, she opened the door and leaned her head out side, taking a noiseless, quiet breath in to smell the air. She darted back in and skidded in front of him, sitting much too close for comfort as she said, "there's something downstairs. It smells funny."

Max blinked. "You mean the chocolate smell?" She nodded quickly. "That's just food. They take cocoa powder and hot milk and they mix them up together. Sometimes they put marshmallows in them. Oh! I bet Brock made his apple pie too. He always makes his apple pie after the first snowfall. It snowed a little earlier around here, but he said he was going to wait until Ash got back. You should come down and have some! You'll love it!"

"I do like apples," she agreed, following Max to the door. "Where did you get your Slakoth?"

"My dad gave it to me. He runs a gym in the Hoenn region. It's a normal type gym." He continued to gab all the way down the stairs, tugging her elbow when she stopped halfway down the stairs. She held steadfast, and pulled him back a bit, opting instead to lean forward and glance out over the room. They all sat in the living room, mugs of hot chocolate on the coffee table, Delia patiently putting Ash's mug on a coaster and giving his ear a firm yank. Each had a plate of warm apple pie, though Ash's was empty and May's was already more than half gone.

"Misty, what are you waiting for?" Max asked, tugging at her elbow again. "Don't you want to go and get some pie? It's really good! I mean, it's not…oh! Oh!" His face lit up with realization. "You…you must be scared because you haven't met anyone down here yet! You're from Team Rocket and we're your sworn enemies. You don't have to worry. We're all really nice. My sister will be friends with you if no one else will. I promise! She's really nice! Even if she is kind of annoying sometimes."

"You know what, Max?" Misty said hesitantly, clutching the egg close. "I…I think I will hide upstairs for a little while. I'm not much of a people person. I don't think I could meet them all at once. I know Mrs. Ketchum and Brock and Ash…but I don't know any of the others. I barely wanted to meet you, Max. I almost felt my heart explode when I found out someone was in the room. I'll wait until they leave, then hope they come one or two at a time later so I can be introduced to them slowly in a no stress environment."

"We're not going to hurt you," Max argued.

"I've been trained to think otherwise," she muttered. "Listen, my whole life has been telling me _not _to be here, _not _to do this, _not _to converse with the enemy. Yet, here I am. I'm betraying Team Rocket. I've been taken away from everything I've ever known, and I'm actually _okay _with that and I have no idea why. I'm very confused, Max. I'm very conflicted. It's strange to not feel like you're in danger when you're in the very situation that should be the stuff of your nightmares. I don't want to deal with this right now, and you can tell that to the idiot."

With that, she turned and fled upstairs, and Max ran into the living room. "Brock, I would like a piece of pie. I think Misty wants to try some to, but she doesn't want to come down because there are way too many people she doesn't know. She let me play with her egg because she wanted me to guess what was inside it, but I couldn't get it. Come to think of it, she never told me what it was. But, she did tell me to say: 'I don't want to deal with this right now, and you can tell that to the idiot' and I'm pretty sure I know who the idiot is."

All eyes turned to Ash, gulping down a third piece of pie. He moaned and slammed it down, getting to his feet and storming up. "Fine, _I'm _the idiot. It has to be me because I'm _always _the idiot and I don't see why she's _my _responsibility because she's _my _hostage, and I don't think she should be because she doesn't even _like _me. All I did was take her freaking hostage! Who gets made because someone takes them hostage! I think it's pretty nice of me, considering where she was before."

"Bring up pie, Ash. She might be nicer to you if you bring her pie," Delia sang, fighting off a smile as she delicately forked her pie. Her eyes flicked to Brock's, biting her lip hard she managed to say a tight, "The apple pie is absolutely delicious. Did you make the recipe yourself or is it just another one of your family secrets? Your mother has passed down some of her very best recipes to you. I just have to get some."

"I'd give them to you, but I'm not sure they're my responsibility. I may be the ones that hold them hostage, per se, in the recipe box, but I don't really think they like me very much. They never get out of the box to dance for me or anything. You figure they'd be happier, since I'm chaining them up inside a tiny box all crammed together. I can't imagine why they're mad at _me_." Brock said calmly, blowing on his warm coffee.

The others fought to hold back their giggles, all except Gary, Tracey, and Drew, of course, who burst out laughing at the joke and added in their own shots at the poor boy. The boy in question finished slicing the pie, served it on a plate with vanilla ice cream on the side, and stormed upstairs with a mug of hot cocoa in the other hand. He muttered a few choice words, many of which were caught by and scolded by his mother, before kicking open his door and almost dropping the plates at the sight.

His clogged, cluttered room was now filled with pokémon. Corsola bounced on the bed; Starmie and Staru were bouncing around, careful not to bump a single thing in the room; Politoed clapped happily, cheering everyone on in their merry activities. The thing that really startled him, however, was the girl stretched out on the bed with limbs amazingly limp, looking almost asleep as Psyduck stood near her head, giving little quacks every once in a while as it used its big beak to run through her hair and brush it smooth.

"Uh, Misty?"

"Hi, Ash," she said slowly, lips barely moving and lips garbling the words. "I hope you don't mind the pokémon. We're not messing anything up."

"What are you doing?" he asked, setting down the plates and walking towards her slowly. Indeed, she seemed unearthly calm and barely opened her eyes to look at him. It wasn't the same as the pills, that much he could tell. She seemed rational, her eyes were clear and focused, at best she was just calm, as if she had come out of a hot shower. Psyduck seemed awfully content, not as if he had been forced, but as if he was enjoying the act.

"Psyduck is preening me," she murmured. "I like it when he does it. It's really nice. I talked to Pikachu, Ash, she does the same thing, sort of, whenever you cut yourself she licks it clean. It's how we take care of each other. Psyduck doesn't have any kind of healing properties, but this is what they do to bond with each other. I preen his feathers too. His are hard for me, because I don't have a beak, and he doesn't have a brush. I don't know how he manages to get my hair so smooth. It's a mystery. It's a lot nicer to come up here and spend time with the creatures I know and love then to go downstairs and get introduced to the friends of my oh-so-caring captor, who complained about coming up here."

"You heard that through the door?" He felt his cheeks begin to tint.

"The door was open. I closed it when I heard you start to complain. You weren't quiet about it. It wasn't hard to hear."

"Well, I didn't mean to insult you," he said, sitting down on the bed next to her. "I don't regret bringing you here, Misty. I regret it happening the way it did, and I wish you weren't so miserable. I hope that…maybe after a while you'll learn to love it like I do. I want to keep you here, because I grew to really like you while I was in the school, as a friend, I mean. You were always nice to me, Misty. Even if it was in your own weird way, you were still always nice. From the first moment we met, you even gave me your name, and I bet you didn't do that for everyone. I think you're a great person, especially if you're close enough to your pokémon to have them preen you. Is there anything I can say to make this better?"

"I could force feed you the words, but you'd make them corny," she retorted.

He chuckled. "I probably would."

"I know you would, you already did," she snorted. She sat up slowly and gathered the duck into her lap with a sad sigh. He gave only one indignant quack before she began running her fingers through his soft feathers, making sure they were all zipped closed in case he got the chance to go to water. "I guess I can't spend time with my pokémon, now that you're here. You're going to have to leave me alone for a little while, Ash. I want to take care of them."

He scooted all the way on, turning so his head and back rested against the wall, hugging his knees close to his chest. "You don't need to. You can do whatever you want. I'm not going to do anything. As long as you don't hurt me or anyone else, I promise no one will care. If you want, I can make sure no one will come near you. I can make sure they want to talk to you. You _are _allowed to defend yourself. If anyone touches you, come straight to me. If anyone does anything you're not sure about or you don't like, come to me or my mom. We'll keep you safe. Like it or not, you're my responsibility."

"Wow," she muttered. "That sure makes me feel special. I'm your responsibility. You make it sound like I'm another chore you have to take care of. That's the way it was in Team freaking Rocket, and it isn't any different here. Once again, I should be so _grateful _to be here. You're so _generous _to take me in. Thank you, Ash, thank you _so _much. What would I ever do without you?"

"It's not like that and you know it," he shot back. "I…you…Misty, I want you to be my friend. I want you to be happy here. Parents love their children and their kids are their responsibility. It's more like…it's my responsibility to take care of you, because I took you out of a situation while you could take care of yourself. It's my responsibility to get you adjusted, because it's my fault this happened. And…I'm sort of rambling, but you know what I mean. I really, really want to get along with you."

"And you want me to get along with everyone else and grin and be a little princess."

"You don't have to talk to anyone you don't want to," Ash argued. "You don't have to be friends with anyone you don't want to. You have to be polite, you can't hit them unless they hit you first, and once they do hit you the only thing I want you to do is get them off and run to either me or my mom. You don't have to like anyone, just tolerate them. To tell the truth, I don't like all of them either. I hate Gary. You can take a swing at him whenever you feel like."

"Funny," she mumbled, burying her head in Psyduck's feathers. "Ash, there's so much going on and I can't sleep no matter how hard I try. I've been trying on and off for a while but I only sort of fall asleep. I passed out but…it doesn't feel right. I feel almost too comfortable, like I'm being tricked. I want to go, Ash. At the very least I want there to be a pool so I can bring out Gyarados and I can go in the water and we can spend time together and it'll be like we never left and I've got freaking _water lust _whatever the hell that is."

"Water lust?"

"Don't ask," she mumbled. "A pokémon and I had a long talk about it. The more I think about it, the more I think that I've got the stupid water lust thing. I'm obsessed with it. All I want is to get into the freaking water. No matter how hard I try, when I'm awake, I want to dive in. When I'm asleep, I'm dreaming about it. It's like…they talk in school about cigarettes and how addicted they are to it. They can't let it go; it's always on their mind. That's what I feel like! That's how I feel about water! But it's insane, isn't it? I mean, there's no such thing as water lust. I can't possibly…how could a person possibly develop an addiction to water? It doesn't make any sense."

She undid her hair, running her hands through it before sweeping it up again with a low whine in the back of her throat. Psyduck played with the fingers she dropped near his beak, gently tugging at them in what he hoped was a comforting gesture, which it was, but not quite comforting enough. "What the hell is _happening _Ash? Do you ever feel that way about anything weird? I mean, is there anything that people normally don't do that you do?"

"I like to fight," he said slowly, eyes darting up to the ceiling, as if the answer to make it all easier had been taped for his own benefit. "I like it a lot more than normal people. I love pokémon battles. I fight with Gary nonstop. It's pretty addicting. I think he likes it, not as much as I do, but I like to say it's training. It's not training. I want to fight, I want to beat him all the time, I want to win and beat everyone. I don't ever like losing. I'll lose if I have to, but it's really hard when I do. I'd rather take the loss than have my pokémon hurt…but I always have to come back for a rematch until I win. I can't let it go. I guess that's an addiction."

She nodded. "I guess that's battle lust."

She began to rock back and forth a bit, Psyduck beginning to fall asleep in her arms, murmuring something about 'mommy' under his breath. Sharply, she drew in air and burst, "Ash, how often do you talk to your pokémon? I don't mean just talk at them, but with them. You know, having full conversations and listening to what they say. Nobody at Team Rocket did and I want to know if that's normal too, or if that's another weird thing."

"Nah, it's not weird. I do that all the time." He sighed. "But, you might want to keep it to yourself. I don't really talk to other people about this kind of stuff, so we could be completely freaky. Some things it's just better to keep from the public. Go over them with me first because...I think you're the same as me. When I was little, I didn't have a lot of friends. I bonded to pokémon instead. It was just easier to do. People are complicated, pokémon are simple. It's one of the reasons I got so close to Pikachu. I spend more time with pokémon than normal people do, and it rubs off. You understand the language better, get along better, it might help me battle, but I think that's just talent."

"And you're so modest," she teased. "Do other people really not get this close?"

"They flip it. They get a lot closer to people and stay away from pokémon, but they didn't grow up as a reject in Team Rocket or a shy kid with an overprotective mother. The first few years of childhood development are crucial; it's when they learn how to interact with others, team work, and so on and so forth. It sets your place in the social status, right from the beginning you know if you're popular or if you're the nerdy kid in the back who eats paste. The first half of that was from Tracey. I sorta paraphrased the last part."

"Can't say I'm surprised." She pulled the sleeping duck from her lap and put him on the bed, next to the egg, stroking his head gently and giving a quiet little hum. "So, what, kids like us who didn't get those first, crucial years of interaction are doomed to forever attach to pokémon? Let me guess, that's why you gave me the egg. You knew that I had to be able to attach to it since I was such a weirdo who couldn't get along with everyone and hid upstairs."

He grinned, gently punching her shoulder. "What, you're embarrassed because you didn't want to say hi to everyone? I don't blame you, Misty. _I _don't want to say hi to half the people down stairs. I just don't have a choice. You do know you're gonna have to say hi eventually, right? I mean, everyone needs to know who I'm hiding upstairs. They want to see what you look like."

"They want to know if they can trust me," Misty whispered, glaring down at her legs. "At least at the school I was used to it all, people just ignored me. Max came upstairs and he wouldn't come near me. He thought he wasn't supposed to. He thought I was going to hurt him. He looked at me as if I was some kind of monster, Ash. Who would have told him that? Did someone even _tell _him or did he just figure it out on his own?"

Ash's good humor was lost immediately, and he furiously wondered how the girl could play with his emotions like a yo-yo. He was almost ready to yell at her about that when he looked, realizing that she was gripping her legs just a little too tightly for it to be a lighthearted joke. It didn't seem like her, being so sturdy and all, but she was certainly nowhere near crying. She seemed to be restraining her temper, gone from a scapegoat to a monster in seconds.

"It was probably May. She's a little…protective of him. There was an incident with Team Rocket when they first moved. They almost took Max because her mom couldn't find his passport. They were going to test Max, right, see if he was good enough for the school, and if he wasn't the Rockets were going to just ship him back to some distant relative in Hoenn. If Caroline, that's May's mom, had found it on time May probably wouldn't be here today. They would have gone back to their region and never come back. It took Norman days to finally convince her to stay, Caroline, I mean, not May." He blushed and rubbed his neck, realizing the other hole he forgot to fill in. "And Norman's May's dad."

"That's not fair," she muttered, closing her fists around her jean clad thighs even tighter. "It's not fair at all! I've barely been here a day and look at what's happening! I've already got a demotion from people I don't even know! I'm not a monster, Ash! I'm plenty nice! I'm not going to hurt anyone! I'm better than half the people here because I've been trained to not let my emotions get the best of me and stay logical!"

He grabbed her wrists and she hissed at the tight hold. He didn't catch the message though, tilting his head so he could see her face. "For someone who doesn't let their emotions get the best of them, you're getting awfully mad. Look at yourself! I bet if we rolled up your pants you'd be red all over, wouldn't you?"

She dropped her gaze from his, disappointed at her outburst. "I ran out of pills. I forgot to take them when I first came and now they're all gone. It's bad enough that they've been flickering on and off ever since you came, but it's a hundred times worse now that I don't have them at all. I don't know how you can deal with this emotion stuff all the time, Ash. It really sucks. It's better without them, when you don't care about what people say or if some little kid thinks you're an evil monster."

"I don't think you're a monster."

"Doesn't matter." She shoved his head playfully. "You're pretty monstrous yourself."

"Oh yeah?" Ash giggled.

Within seconds the two were caught up in another fight, the egg and Psyduck snoring through it, the pokémon treating them as moving obstacles and continuing their training around them. All the while, the two yelled and playfully screamed and wrestled over the floor, unaware of the loud banging they heard downstairs which startled the teens and sent Delia reminiscing about "old times" when the two wrestled like this in the park and she had to pull them apart before they killed each other or started some sloppy, little kid kiss, she was never quite sure of which.

Ash and Misty rolled around on the floor, a wild mess on limbs and legs, ending it all when Misty showed one of her rare bursts of speed to wiggle out from under him and jump up on the bed, declaring that she was tired and done for the night (to which he retorted it was only seven). Ash stuck out his tongue and ran downstairs. He told the group, with a heavily flushed face and a much lighter step, that he would try to introduce her to people little by little, and she was a little overwhelmed.

And everyone was astonished how the boy could be so happy and not realize that the girl upstairs was the cause of it.

**

* * *

**It was later that same night that Misty kept into Delia's room. She wasn't trying to keep the woman asleep, not really, and wondered why she was being so quiet if she was just going to wake her up in a second anyway. She supposed it was instinct and training and common courtesy to not startle her awake, instead to try and ease her up in hopes she would cooperate a little better.

Her stomach twisted and she pressed herself against the slowly closing door. The back of her head ground into the wood, and her foot began tapping against the soft carpet. She cursed herself quietly, because it _should _have been easy to walk across the room and wake the young woman up. Her heart shouldn't have been pounding, and she shouldn't have been fending off the urge to run back to bed. But it was too important to back down, she needed Mrs. Ketchum's help, and she raced forwards.

She dropped to her knees beside the bed, breathing faster and heart beating harder. The woman seemed to be a sound sleeper, at least for tonight, or perhaps the blue eyed girl's nervousness had made her feet lighter. She certainly felt like she had raced down the hall in record time. She bit her lip, gathered up her courage, and reached up to tape her. She ducked down, then winced as she realized the woman had not woken up. There was a few more taps, a few more recoils, then she got up and gave Mrs. Ketchum one rough shake that did the trick.

"Hmm?" She sat up slowly and felt for the light in the dark. "Ash what are you-?"

"It's Misty," the girl said quickly, catching the woman's hand. "I…keep the light off. See, I…I…Ash and I were playing upstairs today and, well, this all sort of happened before I was playing with him, actually, but…it's complicated, Delia. I want to say this in a way that doesn't…portray your son in a poor light. He didn't do anything bad, not really. I don't think it's anything wrong, but maybe you might. I don't want him to get in trouble, because he doesn't deserve to be. He was helping me."

Delia rubbed her eyes sleepily, yawning a too loud in the quiet of the night, "you're rambling, sweetie. Get to the point."

Misty reached her hand out quickly before she lost her spirit to do so. Her hand closed tight around the cool metal of the chain, and she tugged, flooding the room with light. Her hands were held out to the woman, chewing too hard on her bottom lip, and Mrs. Ketchum woke up quickly. There were finger like bruises wrapping around the girl's wrist, and once Misty was sure she had gotten a good look at him, she raised her shirt to flash a few deep purple bruises on her torso. That was dropped so she could pull up her right pant leg and highlight the single, dark bruise on her shin, crossing onto her knee.

"Oh, sweetie, he…" She sighed and touched her shoulder, and the girl winced at yet another bruise. "You shouldn't be wrestling with him. He's a lot stronger than he looks. He doesn't mean it but he gets so competitive. Oh, oh goodness. Do you want me to talk to him? That's what you came for, isn't it?"

"No, I just wanted some medicine to fix me up. It's just bruises. There's cream to make those go away in just an hour. I don't mind getting a couple of bumps." She smiled her strange, little smile, still not quite there but certainly genuine. "But I don't want him to find out. He won't play with me anymore if he finds out, will he? He'll get all nervous and overprotective and annoying. As it was I had to give him a good kick to actually get him to play with me. He's such a big baby sometimes."

"I've told him to be careful," she argued. "If he's not careful he could do more to you than bruises."

"But he's clumsy and not too fast. I can dodge him and run if anything goes wrong. Trust me, ma'am, I've had lots of experience fighting at Team Rocket. Besides, we're both having fun. As long as it's just bruises we don't have to stop, right?" She smoothed her shirt and gulped as Mrs. Ketchum didn't immediately agree, looking down and away from the worried girl. Misty touched the woman's arm. "You're not gonna make us stop, right?"

She sighed and stood up from bed, motioning for Misty to follow her down the hall and into the bathroom. The light clicked on, revealing Delia rummaging through the cabinet and Misty standing in the doorway, gently rubbing her arm and looking each way down the hallway, as if someone was going to wake up and be horrified at what they were doing. The thought was ridiculous. Ash tended to sleep like a log, and no one else was in the house. Yet, Misty was on her tiptoes even as Delia handed her the large jar of cream.

"It's your typical fix. Just spread it on and it'll be gone in an hour. Rub it in, but, be careful, it hurts."

"I know," Misty said, unscrewing the lid and cautiously sniffing the mint green cream, which smelled much like the thing it was colored after. Her fingers gently lifted it to the bruise, and she kept her face still as she felt the hit again. The cream felt so much like the tight grip of his hands, but none of the warmth, none of the distraction of emotion, just a quick shot of pain before it faded away as the cream was absorbed into the skin.

She continued this, bruise by bruise, moment by moment while Delia looked on, sympathizing but unsure how to react. This wasn't her daughter; it wasn't her place to help. Though, Mew, how she wished she could. But the girl seemed just fine on her own, reaching places that _she_ certainly couldn't, finishing quickly and screwing the lid back on and putting it back into the cabinet. Misty looked at the anxious mother, calmly awaiting some kind of instruction, perhaps to be dismissed back to bed, but Mother Ketchum had not a clue what to say.

"Delia, I can't go back to Team Rocket, can I?" she asked, then shook her head. "That came out wrong. I've always known I can't go back, but this is permanent. I won't ever be able to go back. Either you'll win and take it down, or they'll win and I'll be killed with you. There's nothing I can do, is there?"

Of all the things she could have said, of all the comforting words of how things would get better, none of them came out. She couldn't bring herself to say, perhaps they would find a way to get Team Rocket to take her back or she would come to love the Rebellion and all the people in it, that she could start her own life away from all this war, they could ship her off to the Orange Islands and keep her happy with some kind of hot man. That would have made it better, and it wasn't a lie, not really. All of it was possible, and certainly a little positive energy would brighten the girl who had just spent so long fixing herself up after a long, hard day.

She couldn't bring herself to even tell the half truth, to gloss it over with pretty words, and said the only thing she could: "No."

"I knew that." She nodded. "I've known that for a while. I've known that ever since Ash said he was in the Rebellion. I knew that. I'm going to have to kill your son for it, though."

"What?"

"Joking," She spat, suddenly glaring at the floor. Her hands clenched at the blue jeans she had borrowed from Ash, teeth gritted and she struggled to keep her voice down. "I know how to joke. Ash taught me how to joke. I'm not completely socially inept. I'm not going to kill him. If you'll excuse me, I've got an eevee egg to take care of in a motherly, human family. Despite popular belief, I don't eat my young like some sort of rabid dog."

"Misty!" She said, jumping to her feet.

But the girl had stormed out. She was sick of the day. She was sick of people. She was sick of her emotions getting out of control. There was an eevee in an egg, near deathly ill and entitled to her care without her consent. People were busy talking at her, gaping at her like she was some sort of mutant creature on display. The only things in her life that were perfectly fine was her pokémon and Ash, and not even _he _was too great, as the wrestling she was thoroughly enjoying was about to be cut off. Once again, she was painted the monster.

And she was fully _sick _of the misconception.


	16. Fight

_**Fight**_

At eight in the morning, while Ash was still asleep, Delia was comfortably situated in her living room. She drank a hot cup of black coffee and smoked a cigarette. This was all a part of her daily routine, three cigarettes a day, every day since her husband died. She smoked one at eight in the morning, one at one in the afternoon, and one at eight at night. So imbedded was the daily routine that no one would even glance at the woman as she pulled out the smokes at the exact time she always did, regardless of whether a clock was anywhere to be found. She smoked them slowly, happily, and at her lunch she took a pill to prevent any cancer that might fight its way into her system thanks to the deadly drug in hand.

She heard a loud clunk, then a quick rush of water that was quickly cut off, all from upstairs. Her eyes rolled to the ceiling from her talk show, where some woman was prattling on about how homemade decorations were so much more pleasant (though, she couldn't understand who could possibly be thinking about homemaking decorations versus buying them or even planning an elegant dinner party when there was a war raging right outside their fancy, double French doors) and flipping hair that was dyed blonde and needed a touch up in the roots and blinking blue eyes that had brown irises slipping out from under the contacts.

Delia debated going upstairs, because she wasn't sure if she was going to quite like what she saw.

She decided it would be good to find out it Ash had somehow managed to do the impossible, like drown himself in the sink. Her son had a knack for finding trouble, and, thankfully, getting himself out of it, but it never hurt to take those cautious steps upstairs, mug clenched in hand and cigarette poking out between her two fingers, and walk to the bathroom door to just as cautiously peer in, praying there wasn't anything strange or horrifying going on in her sink.

It wasn't horrifying by any means, but it was strange and somewhat baffling to see the redhead bent backwards over her sink, wearing a rubberband (and it truly was a rubberband, a tan rubber circle she must have found in a drawer or somewhere in the mess of Ash's room the night she arrived) to hold on her hair to the side as she clasped her lips around the faucet and sucked down the chilly liquid spurting forth. Her eyes were closed and she gave a quiet moan, before adjusting, and banging her hand on the handle, hoping that it would open further and she could drink even quicker. It did nothing in return.

She did, a moment later, seem to sense she was being watched. At that point, she calmly straightened, turned off the water, and wiped her mouth clean. She clearly declared words that made no sense to the other woman: "Ma'am, I apologize, but I've been consumed with a bout of water lust. I'm really hoping it'll go away soon, but until then I think I might be acting a little weird. I'm awfully sorry, but I haven't made a mess. If I ever do, I promise to clean it up."

Delia nodded. "That's fine. Thank you."

And then she walked by, speaking words that made _perfect _sense to the still nodding woman: "Despite any feelings it might calm, cigarettes are more trouble than they're worth. First, in the sense that they're physically addictive, much unlike my pills which were especially made not to be so. Secondly, they're mentally addictive. They take away your ability to handle situations without them, and they didn't tell us that at Team Rocket, but I think the pills are addictive in our heads. I think that's probably why they didn't tell us, because, sometimes, the mental addiction doesn't get broken because you don't have the want to break it. If you've got nowhere to go, what's the point in driving yourself forward?"

The brunette knew the words were spoken more in a self realization sort of tone that Misty had gone into her own little world at the end, but the words worked just the same. Delia smoked because she had no reason to keep driving forward. There was no reason to move, no reason to pass that day her husband had died, she supposed. In fact, she hadn't stopped, but thrown herself into reverse, perhaps in a futile attempt to bring back the happy days, ironically, days that were terribly post war, with soldiers still lining the streets with pokeballs clutched in one hand and tasers in the other.

And after a while, such thoughts became too much to bear, and anger mounted. She stormed down the hall, threw open the door to the room her son and her captive were sharing, but froze. The girl had not bolted up, not panicked, not surprised, and not even snoring in her bed. She was sitting on the floor, legs crossed as if she was in kindergarten, and she smiled, not a happy was, but a terribly smug one.

"Yelling at me, however good you think it's going to feel, it won't solve your problem. You're only delaying the inevitable. Those cancer pills aren't perfect, Delia. No cure is ever perfect. Things change, evolve; things are _missed _by human error. The next time you're scanned, perhaps someone missed the lump growing in your lungs. Perhaps no one noticed, but the smoke is actually _killing _the cells, instead of just morphing them in to cancer ones. That was one of the researches at the Rockets, looking for little loopholes like that.

"Know why, Delia? They want to save you. They want to act like they're saving you when all they're doing is playing with your emotions. And the sad thing? It'll be decades before anyone says a damn thing if they pulled off. After all, no more disease! Anything can be cured, anything at all, even genetic diseases! They can even be avoided with Rocket technology, take a pill and any sick egg will die in your uterus. And it's not going to stop there, you see, because if you don't take the pill, if you miss one…they'll abort it.

"Not the _normal_ abortion, but the horrible ones. The ones where the baby comes out or you're eight or nine months in. And they jam a rod through its head. That's for the survival of the species. We have to better ourselves. We'll control our evolution, Del. We've spent so much time focusing on other things, pokémon, entertainment, communication, cures, farming, yet we've forgot the most important things! Weapons! Genetics! Science! It's the ultimate manifest destiny! We can see an entire frontier, just waiting for us. So, since nobody else is too interested, the Rockets are going to take it."

Delia clutched the coffee mug tighter. "Why are you telling me of this? I'm in the Rebellion. We've had plenty of spies there. Don't you think we know all this?"

"No," Misty murmured. "Because none of it has happened yet. Not one thing. Giovanni's after it, though. I know he is. He told me so. Hasn't made the plans for it public, yet, but I'm sure he's got them working on it underground. I'm sure they're working their asses off to get this done, and it's not on any system. Any computer they use won't have internet capabilities, cheap. Hacking into that is impossible, it's merely too old to comply.

"And I tell you this, _Delia_…" And the name sounded so cynical on her lips, so angry, so hateful, and her eyes were brimming with that same message. She was disgusted by the older woman, perhaps because she almost felt like she was looking upon herself, looking at what she was every time she popped a pill. "I tell you this because every time you light up, you're one step closer to that. Not to the breakthroughs, not for the betterment of the species, because who the hell wouldn't want to keep their baby from getting sick? But, _but_, and there has to be this but because it's Team fucking Rocket, you have to understand."

Their eyes met, and for one, breathtaking moment, the brunette felt as if she was three inches tall. The way she felt when Ash set angry eyes on her, when Ash was feeling triumphant, and, somehow, those happy eyes just made you feel so lucky that he deemed someone important enough to smile their way, was this exactly, and it wasn't until later that the waterfall of realization would tumble over her as to why.

"Because they're not making it better," she whispered, so low Delia strained to hear. "Because everything you do, everything you want, everything you have, will be controlled by every pill you slip into your system. It'll be in your water, your air, your food, your medicine, choose babies that are genetically designed to _be _submissive. There won't be a damn person alive who will be able to contradict the Team, not because they don't have the power, but because they haven't the guts.

"Every _mindless, cigarette smoking last one_," she snarled, voice low and slow. "Do you want to argue, Delia? What's the debate? You'll be back on it by lunch, I'm sure, but could you bear to put it down now? Do you have the will, or do you lack the spine?"

"You're a child," she snapped. "I don't have to stand for this."

"Of course you don't," Misty chirped bitterly. "You don't have the spine to hold you up."

The older women glared, then jammed her cigarette to the wall, flames extinguishing from the lack of air. She twisted it slowly, then pulled away, leaving a burnt mark on Ash's once perfect walls. She smirked. "There. I've got a spine. I put out my cigarette and I'm perfectly fine. How's that?"

Misty shrugged, looking down to hide the smile. She knew the next part was just plain bad, and the woman wasn't too pleased with her at the moment to begin with. But she had to say it, she simply had to. The moment was golden, priceless, marvelous in every way. It would be a sin to let it pass. So she didn't, flickering her eyes up with a terrible glee and snickering, "you still followed the will of a Rocket."

Furious at the lost debate, the woman slammed the door, stormed down the hall, completely unaware that it was the final slam that woke up her boy.

* * *

Her nails dug into Ash's arm, and he dimly realized that if his mom hadn't forced him into a long sleeved layered outfit (that really was not his style, because long sleeves gripped his arms like rope and made him feel claustrophobic) he would probably be bleeding by now. He was used to the pain and ignored her, instead of pushing her to the ground. He figured, if it did hurt, he would have given her a good shake off and offered her Pikachu to squeeze to death in his place.

"Nervous?" he inquired lightly.

She yanked his ear roughly; making sure his mother wasn't looking, and whispered, "Yes. This Gary guy, you say he's the one that gave me the egg I've got stashed in my bag, right? But he didn't even have the common courtesy to wake me up. Plus, you told me a bunch of stuff about how he's a real jerk. So why should I even bother meeting this guy if you two already have a rivalry going on? You want me to meet your friends, not your enemies so we can start an Ash's hating fan club and sit around, thinking up ways to kill you."

He blinked at her. "Why would your mind even _go _there?"

"Just say I can go home!" she hissed, casting yet another glance at the woman ahead of them as they walked up the stairs to the Professor's house. Delia rapped on the door, and Misty's grip became tighter than Ash thought the scrawny-looking girl had in her. "Dammit, Ash, I can't do this. I can't. There's going to be some creepy old guy and some jerk kid at the door and you have to let me go, Ash, you just have to!"

"You have to let me go first," he muttered."You wanna run?"

She grasped him tighter. "No, I don't. I'm not a coward I…you told me all this bad stuff about them and now they're practically the first people I get introduced to. And you're going to leave me alone with Gary after what happened with Butch! You're just going to go off with that smelly old man and leave me with an asshole. It's bad enough I'm stuck with you all day but now I'm going to be stuck with him too? Is there no end to your asshole attitude?"

He paused, dropping his voice lower to be sure his mother didn't hear. "You're afraid he's going to try to rape you?"

"No, I…I'm afraid if I get mad, I'll kill him," Misty whispered. "I don't want to kill Ash, but the more I look at it, the more time that passes…_Arceus_, Ash, I can't bring myself to feel the tiniest bit sorry, the tiniest bit happy. In fact I…I'm glad he's dead. I'm furious that I was the one that had to kill him, but I'm glad he's dead. I'm proud of it. I want him dead, dead, dead and I want him to stay dead. I just wish I wasn't the one who killed him so I can't get in trouble! Not any other reason Ash! Nothing else! How is that possible? How can I not feel bad because I _killed _a man? You feel bad he's dead, don't you?"

"No," he whispered back, tugging he pulled her hand off his arm and slid it lower until their hands connected. Then he squeezed, not painfully, but he squeezed tight. "I'm glad he's dead. No one touches _any _of my friends. Ever. And if he had done anything to you, I'd kill him. I'd do the same thing if it happened to this jerk in here. You're my friends, _mine_. The bastard deserved it for trying to make you do something you didn't want to."

"I'm no one's possession," she snarled. "Just because I'm a woman I'm not some prize."

"_People _are all prizes, to be shared and owned," he returned, malice in his eyes. "Every last one, and everyone's accepted that. I've never had to come out and say it, everyone _knows. _I've never had a problem, Misty. Everyone just submits to me. They _know_ that they should. They know that they're mine, that I own them. But you…you refuse." He laughed bitterly, softly. "What I want to know is _why_? What the _fuck _makes you so different that you can't figure out that I own you? That you can't figure out that I'm just plain _right _in this?"

"Because I'm just as wonderful as you, Ashton."

They snapped apart, turned, and glared, and what they saw surprised them. Neither shrunk away. In the past, eyes had been averted. Ash had been consented to with a firm scolding for acting in the way he did. Misty had been met with spit, never hitting her, but at her feet as the subdued walked away, muttering about the damn crazy sitting on the floor, glaring with wild, deadly eyes. But the expressions matched, neither yielded, neither overpowered. They simply _tied_. Neither had ever tied before.

"Kids!" Delia called. They turned to see her, each relaxing and feeling almost sorry when they saw the woman. She was shaken, a bit scared at the rage of the children. She had scooted close to the professor, a middle aged man with grey hair and stronger features and big, inquisitive brown eyes. His arm wrapped around the mother, protectively, but absently, because he was giving a look that made Misty decide she liked him.

Her decisions were often quickly made, like or hate, rarely persuaded differently, and rarely indifferent. The professor had a warm look to him, fatherly, and she quite enjoyed that. His eyes were curious, but not a complete scientific curiosity. There was acknowledgment in his eyes that she was new, that she was different after being raised by Rockets, but no fear of it, no hate of it. He was interested in her, and she enjoyed that. She quite wanted to be the center of attention, especially now that Ash had dared to lower her onto the same level as other people.

"Sorry, Mom, I was-"

"What were you _doing_?" she demanded, eyes flashing with fury.

"Misty and I were…arguing about something important. It was just about value, and placements, and how certain things aren't in the right place and it's very _weird _and that thing has the nerve to refuse to explain why that thing is so confusing. The thing should just explain itself so I can categorize it, put it in the right place, then go about my business. I know that thing isn't on the same level as me. After all, it's only a _thing._"

"I did explain, Ashton," Misty said, lips curving into a malicious smile. "Can't stand the answer?"

He gave a furious sound, intelligible, and raced forward with a fist drawn back despite his mother's warning. Misty, with her traditional speed ducked and spun, her bag elegantly sliding off her shoulders to gently sit on a bush, then giving his leg a good kick before jogging away. She made the fatal mistake of returning, not top speed, but at a light run. The boy snatched her wrist as she went by and threw him down. She did not scream or cry, but gave a yelp and just to her feet instantly with an angry, wordless shout, stomping a foot his way.

"Ash _Ketchum_!" Delia screamed, her voice was near frantic. "You stop it! You apologize right now! She's just a girl! You brought her home and it's your responsibility to take care of her! You _stop _it and you make sure you didn't hurt her! I've told you not to do this! I've told you!"

"Sorry, Mom. She's just plain annoying! She deserves it, and she started it anyway. Misty, you're not hurt, are ya?"

Blue eyes met brown. "Can't we finish, Mrs. Ketchum? This is the only way to settle it. Words aren't going to work this time. We don't normally fight, but we need this. We need to figure this out. I just…I know I can't be the same as other people. There's no possible way that Ash is better than me and Ash can't believe I'm better than him! We have to find out who's better, Mrs. Ketchum, or we'll never figure out who owns who!"

"Owns?" she breathed, looking up at Samuel Oak. "_Owns_, Sam, _owns. _They're debating about _who they own_, Sam!"

"_Whom _we own, Mrs. Ketchum, not who. That's grammatically incorrect," the redhead chirped.

"Hush, now, Delia," he soothed. "They're bound to get a superiority complex. Misty's been trained to have one and with the way Ash wins his battles, never loses a fight; we all knew he had it. My son does as well. Let's not dwell on it now, we'll figure it out later. As for now, could you two settle this later? I hope you don't mind waiting, but we've some things we need to talk about with Ash and I'm sure Gary would like to check on the egg. You haven't hurt the egg in your fight, have you?"

"Of course not, Sam!" Misty shook her head wildly. "It's right there in my bag. But why would Gary care? Ash told me he's an asshole."

"He's my grandson," Samuel explained. Ash winced, and Misty's expression merely grew confused as how this had to do with the care of the egg. "Alright, well, Gary's the one who gave you the egg. He found it here in the reserve and he needed someone to tend to it. We recruited him for a little break to watch you while the three of us have a discussion. Are you alright with that? It shouldn't be too long."

Her mouth opened and closed, and she began to shift, looking anxiously at Ash. She wanted to _finish_ this fight. She started it, and it was such a big topic. Each had stated that one was better than the other, and they couldn't just get over that. It was impossible; to live your life being on top, doing only what you wanted, then came across a challenger. Someone who didn't follow the plan. Someone who didn't fit. Someone who, as time passed, was becoming terribly attractive.

It was Misty who mused on the attraction. It had long since become a part of Ash, swirled and twisted into his mind until he barely noticed when it popped up. He would calmly appreciate a curve, a smile, an action that made his blood boil and heart race. But the feeling was a sudden rush to Misty, because there was a flicker of lust beneath the anger in his eyes, a flicker of desire, of something that he couldn't have. And that little flicker, towards her, towards anyone, really, was wonderfully handsome, under all that rage and placement that had to be settled.

Perhaps, once they figured out where they belonged, she could kiss him, for real instead of a promise. This was much less consuming than finding out where they belonged, but still a very pressing matter. She would have her brain full of musings tonight.

"_Misty_?" His voice was a tad fatherly, a bit forceful and she glared with an idly wondering if she would have to establish a place with him too, but a thorough examination of his strong features, sharp, glasses carrying type of nose declared that he wouldn't be a problem. "Misty, if you don't want to, speak up. If you will, come inside. Not to be impatient, my dear, but there's a very small timeslot for Gary to watch you and for us to discuss certain things only we need to know."

"About Team Rocket?" she asked.

"About _you _and Team Rocket," he replied honestly. "You're an interesting topic, Misty. It's not every day that a girl raised by Rockets tumbles into our midst. From the rumors going around, you weren't exactly typical at your old home either. You've peaked my curiosity, and though there's many questions I'll be asking you later on, there's many things I need to discuss with Ash in private. How much care he's willing to put in, how close he is to you, what kind of turn will the relationship take, and what could we do if things get out of hand, sexually, break ups, pregnancies and things like that. More important, however, is Ash reporting on his mission."

"You can have him if you promise to give him back soon, Professor. I've got a lot to…discuss as well."

"They're going to kill each other, Samuel," Delia said, loud enough for both the fighters to hear. "They're going to kill each other, both of them dead and me all alone! I just want grandchildren, not this. I love them both but can't you think up a way to get them to stop? There's got to be something, a potion that you've got hidden. You're a scientist, don't you know these things?"

"Ash and my grandson have taught me that certain things are better left unchanged," Samuel retorted. "It's best to leave things alone, Delia. Nature has a way of sorting itself out. The two will be fine. Ash, show Misty to Gary's room and then join us where we always meet. There's food in the refrigerator, so feel free to grab a sandwich if you're hungry. We can wait a minute for you to grab a snack." The man nodded, then led the still nervous woman inside.

The redhead beamed, but it was barely real, just a touch of happiness dancing gin her curious eyes. "Can I have more fruit, Ash?"

He swooped down next to him and picked a strawberry big enough to fit in both his hands. "This is just like a regular strawberry, but due to genetic modifications by the Professor, it's big. It also has very specific temperatures it can be grown at during the winter time. It dies in the summer, and it doesn't drop seeds. You have to gather them from the ripe fruit and plant it yourself. That's the drawback. There's got to be one every time."

She took it from him and stared. "But…why is there always a drawback? Can't science-?"

"There's benefits and drawbacks to everything," Ash said slowly. "Sometimes, it's better with plants that we can modify them, change them, because it helps feed us. But with living creatures, it's generally better for us to let nature handle itself. We tend to ruin more than we fix."

Misty looked directly into his eyes, hands itching to clutch the strawberry as fear began to rise. "What did the Professor do to you and Gary, Ash?"

Ash's answer was quick, fast, and his eyes looked away from hers. Not lying, though, certainly not lying. Lying was bold or sneaky, but this was laced with the fear. He was hiding something, and that made all the difference as he spoke, "He didn't do a thing to me. Come on."

They started up the stairs, Misty closer than Ash would have liked as she pestered him with questions. "Ash, you said he didn't do anything to you, and I know what that means. Everyone knows what that means. So you have to tell me, Ash, is that why Gary is the way he is? I know the scar's from Rockets, but what about whatever Oak did. Can you see it? Is it obvious? Or did he screw around with the genetics. You can't leave me in the dark, Ash, I need to know."

"No, you don't," Ash muttered. "And why should I give you any answers. It's not like you've given me anything."

"I'd happily tell you _why _I don't roll over for the Great Ash Ketchum if I knew, because I don't have a single idea. I'm stubborn? I'm smart? The pills have numbed my sense of greatness? I don't know, Ash. All I know is I'm not any more scared of you than I am anyone else. That's not exactly true either, but…I'm not scared. I'm more…challenged by you. You seem like you'd make a good rival, a good an opponent. Maybe I'm too wrapped up in the idea of fighting with you that I can't figure out that I'm supposed to be scared. That sounds logical."

He shook his head, leading her through the door. She didn't hear the first half of the reply, thanks to this, because she had never been someplace nearly so elegant, so white. It was white all the white to the tall, elegantly curved staircase with a golden handrail leading to a single door on top. Pretty white carpet, pretty white walls; it was a waiting room of sorts. There was a golden chandelier that matched the golden colored couches and the gold trim along the glass tables and the gold lamps that dotted each of those glass tables. There was nothing on the ceiling but white, nothing on the walls but white, but different shades created patterns and designs both beside and above her, and she paused for a moment to gape.

"And, _Misty_, I was just saying that you wouldn't be able to take me in a fight if you tried."

Her lips twitched up a bit, "You're a pokémorph, Ash?"

He grinned at that, tension gone as he tucked his hands inside his pockets and relaxed. "Oh, no. We could only be that lucky! I'm much worse, much more dangerous. A pokémorphs only changes when bare skin touches their element, I'm always wild, Mist. Me and my giant, deadly muscles are ready to slaughter you at any moment, so you'd better beware."

She gave him one of her small, real smiles. "Silly boy, you couldn't take me if you tried, especially with grammar like that. It should be 'my giant, deadly muscles and _I _are ready to slaughter you at any moment. And who says I didn't bring that gun of mine with me? There's no monster that a few pieces of hot lead can't solve. Now, come on, let's stop playing. I need to go with Gary and you need to eat and have a conference all about how beautiful I am and how your entire life at the school revolved around me."

He took a step closer, smoothing her bangs with a gulp. "Don't…don't joke about that anymore, okay? I don't know if I can keep myself from kissing you, because it's getting worse. Before, it was a light little crush. I've had those before, the supermodel kind of thing. The one where you like someone from afar, but not enough to try anything. Not because you're scared but…because when someone's pretty or when you just like a couple things about them, it's better to fantasize than to bother dating them. They'll probably be a disappointment."

She tried to figure out why it was getting so hard to breathe and why her heart was jumping in her chest. There were very few things you could do this close. Talking could be done from afar, and he didn't look like he wanted to fight. He wasn't looking at her like he wanted to hurt her, and though there was a slight match in the eyes of him to the eyes of Butch, it was different. Butch's was released, barely minded and backed with fury from the alcohol. Ash was holding his lust back, holding back frustration and so many other things.

She knew she shouldn't have, but somehow it was hard for her not too. Mostly because she shouldn't have been encouraging this, not because it was forbidden or wrong, but just because she somehow knew she shouldn't. Weren't they supposed to be friends? Not only that, but wasn't it weird? He had captured her, betrayed her, brought her here where, in all reality she was treated better than Team Rocket and felt like she was actually better off here with freer reign than cooped up. Well, except for the pool, of course. The water lust was enough to drive her back home, that, and this weird stuff.

What she shouldn't have done, was take of his hat to smooth his hair, only to replace it with a tender sort of motion. "And, what? The more you've gotten to know me the more you're thinking that taking a chance on a beauty like this is worth it?"

"I don't want to take a chance on a girl like you because you're angry, loud, independent, stubborn, pretty, kind underneath it all but barely ever show it, and you're exactly the type of girl…" He swallowed thickly, and took a step even closer, to the point where there could only be one interest in mind. "You're the type of girl who can say no without a problem, and even if you hit me, I'll end up more hurt but whatever you say to end it than a little backslap."

Encouragement was bad, very bad, worse than what she had said to Delia that morning, but she knew exactly what she was doing, if not aware of the why. "What kind of coward never tries? Isn't it worth the risk? Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?"

Whereas she barely felt more than a tap and mild curiosity before, she felt like she was experiencing whatever it was a real kiss felt like. Stomach clenched in that butterfly feeling, heart raced even faster as his hand came under her chin, not tilting it up, for there wasn't a need to since she was taller, but almost seeming to pull her forward. Was it weird to be this excited? Was it weird to be this absolutely thrilled? It was just lips touching. It couldn't be that great but somehow instinct prodded the idea that it would be much more fun than logically expected.

And then, right when their lips were about to meet, he twisted away and walked a few paces back, hands behind his head as he took deep breaths in and out. Neither was disappointed, Ash was not plagued by thoughts of his cowardice and Misty was not consumed with fear that he didn't want to kiss her. Instead, both were frustrated and each knew exactly why it couldn't happen. They were in the middle of a public place, easy to be walked in on. They were not thrilled with the idea of being watched while they experimented.

She raced up to him nevertheless. "Nobody's here, Ash, we could."

"No," he shook his head. "They're here. Gary's right upstairs. Odds are we'll close our eyes, we'll be distracted. We wouldn't notice. Not here, agreed?"

She pulled out the rubberband and began to do her hair up again. "But I…can't we find a damn closet or something? Ash, I…my feelings have been haywire for such a long time. I'm off the pills and I've got water lust and I fought with you and your mom and damn it, Ash! You can't just do this to me! I need some kind of release and from what I've read in all those books romance is a great way to release."

"I know," Ash laughed nervously. "But if I start, I can't stop. You?"

She sighed and scuffled her foot on the carpet. "No. But I wish we could just go in a closet or something, Ash. Nothing has to come of it but…I know you won't rape me or anything and I know you want to and you know I want and it'd just be nice if…if I had this to fall back on. It's just a stress reliever, like friend stuff. Nothing changes. It's just…whenever one of us needs a good make out, something bad happens to you, you can tap me on the shoulder and vice versa."

He leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead, a pleasant flush spreading between the two of them.

"If we do…do something, it would have to be for a relationship. I'm not the kind of guy who makes out with a girl when she winks across a bar. We shouldn't use it as a stress reliever, that's dangerous. Emotions get mixed up in that, and pretty soon, one of us falls in love, the other doesn't care, and that the end of that. Someone's going to get hurt." He laughed. "And, judging by your opinion of this, it's probably going to be me."

She frowned. "You're a big baby, you know that?"

He poked her forehead. "Yeah, but at least I have emotions. Plus, I think we still have to have an argument about who's top dog before we move onto anything else."

"Well, beating the crap out of you could also be a great stress reliever," she agreed. While he laughed, she looked up the stairs and continued to watch the room. "So, Ash, where am I supposed to meet the ass? I'll give the ass a good kick in the ass. Idiot thinks he can watch me. You can't watch me. I could run away and none of you would be able to catch me if you tried. I don't know why I can't just go play with the pokémon."

"It could have something to do with the fact that I can very easily distract you," Ash pointed out.

"You cannot!"

He smirked and bit back another laugh. "Alright, hotshot. Where's the egg he gave you?"

"It's…" Her eyes widened as she realized the bag was still on the bush. She spun on her heel and ran at the door at a reasonable speed, jogging down the hill to pick up her bag, leaving the chuckling Ash with a loud "Crap!" that echoed through the high, empty room.

**

* * *

**He left her standing awkwardly in the room, clutching the bag to her chest like it was her security blanket, and it probably was. Gary didn't pressure her, sitting in the fancy room. It was a rich person's room, every bit as fancy as the room downstairs. His bed was king sized, with red sheets and gold covers, the room all a subtle red color from the ceiling to the carpet. There was a desk and bookshelves and an atmosphere that made it feel like she had been sent back to the Renaissance.

He had spent a moment, arching his eyebrow at her, looking her up and down. Once he discovered she wasn't exactly in an interacting mood, he went to his laptop, flipped it open, and began typing and blaring some kind of fancy classical music from the speakers. He barely moved, only getting up a few moments to snatch a thick research book off the shelf, then plopping back in the chair on his desk and going back to work.

Out of the silence, Misty blurted quickly, "Thank you for the egg."

"You're welcome. You're also free to sit. There's books on the shelf to read if you like. Most of them are research, but the bottom shelf is full of fiction, mostly mystery. If you're not into that, the game systems are in the closet. Most of them are interactive, but I have things as old as Pong in there. Play with anything you like, but try not to break it. If you want to talk, let me know so I can save my essay."

"You're writing an essay?" she asked. "You don't go to school."

"No, it's for a magazine. I'm one of the leading pokémon researchers in the world. I need to get this out by the end of the week. Lucky for you, you're part of the topic. That's one of the reasons I agreed to watch you. I'd like to see the interactions between you and when the egg first hatches. As a woman, you should have some type of maternal instinct towards the egg, and hopefully it will adopt you as its mother knowing nothing else. If it doesn't accept you right away, that shows that the pokémon has some kind of conscious memory in the egg, or that a pokémon instinctively knows its mother. Both theories are highly debated. This should help."

"It'll give you a lot of glory too," Misty replied, sitting on the bed. "You'll get all kinds of awards for figuring something that big out."

"It's not about the glory," he sighed, turning away from his laptop. "I'm the kind of guy who likes the research for the research. I went after training, all the glory and fame that goes with it, and I couldn't stand it. I'm not a fighter, I guess. I like to learn. Doesn't mean I don't like taking the first shot. I like to solve puzzles, answer questions. I guess the whole thing runs in the genes. So, tell me how the egg is doing."

"Eggish," she said slowly, opening the bag. She scooped it out and held it close to her stomach, eyes meeting his for only a moment. "It doesn't really do all that much. It just sort of sits there. It barely ever wiggles, though sometimes you can hear it scratching inside."

"Wiggles?" His eyes opened wide, and his attention, barely there before, focused in fully. "Why would an egg…wiggle? You mean it moves because the thing inside is scratching?"

"No, because it's about to hatch," Misty explained. She wrinkled her nose and looked down at the egg. "That's what the simulator said they do, but that always seemed strange to me. It just doesn't seem right. Now that I hear it out loud, it really does sound stupid. But what I don't understand is how the mother could let you take the egg, or abandon it. How does a parent just leave their kid and hope someone else is going to take care of it? I don't understand how a pokémon could do it. I thought only people were that horrible."

"Statistically, it happens about the same amount, less because of the medications we can put women on for PPD." He reached out to put a hand on the egg, surprisingly warm, and his eyes met hers as he explained, "Post partum depression. We might want to be careful; maybe you'll get so attached to this little egg we'll need to shove a few pills down your throat. And _why _on Earth is this egg so warm?"

Misty reached into her bag and pulled out hand and foot warmers, proudly displaying them to him. "I didn't want it to get cold, since it's snowing outside and I know you have to keep eggs warm. I didn't know what else to do, and hugging it all the time wouldn't really help me if I had to give someone a good smack to keep their stupid hands off. So I wanted to put it in my bag, since I always carry it with me, and then I was digging through Ash's drawers-"

"Why were you going through Ash's drawers?"

"I was curious. He left me alone in his room so I did a little exploring, in which I was surprised to find not a single pornographic magazine in his room. But, I was going through his drawers and I found all of these things. So I broke all the little beads inside and shoved them in the bottom of my bag. I'll have to hold it real close on the way back, unless you've got something I can use to keep it warm?"

He nodded slowly, taking the egg from her with a quiet: "may I?" beforehand. He walked over, attaching little wires to his computer and rubber sensors to the egg. She watched him, curling up comfortably on the bed while he clicked open a few programs. The first was a heart rate monitor, the second displayed the vitals, the next was an ultrasound. He checked the first two first, saving the data and making sure it was all doing fine. He then motioned her closer, smiling and pointing at the screen.

"Do you see what your baby is?"

She raised an eyebrow. "A black and white blur in terrible color and grainy due to the terrible resolution of your ancient piece of crap laptop?" He glared, and she smirked proudly, pointing to the screen. "They sent most of the girls to these kinds of classes, so we would know whenever we were pregnant what was going on with our child. Granted, they had a few light sensors hooked up so you could get a bit of color and the screen was one hundred times better."

"Alright, alright. I'm not exactly loaded here."

Misty looked around the room incredulously, then back to him. "_Really?_"

"My grandfather is rich. He's the one that takes care of me, so I've got a lot of nice stuff." He shrugged, carefully clicking a few buttons on the computer. "I try not to ask him for so much. He's a nice guy; he's done a lot for me. I can't ask him for a lot. I ask for what I need to do my research, and that's enough. Besides, if we make all these purchases Team Rocket may start looking our way. Thanks to our research, we get enough attention from them as it is. It's very rare for us to discuss the Rebellion here. You should consider yourself lucky we took the risk to let you in. I'm sure there's a few who would prefer we'd get rid of you."

"It's May, isn't it?" she murmured.

"You met her?" Gary asked, and it was answer enough.

The redhead moaned and raced to the bed, diving face first into the pillow with a loud moan, then lifted her head to run her mouth. "I met her little brother. It's pretty obvious from what he said that's she's terrified of me! She hasn't even met me! And from what I've heard Dawn doesn't like me either! They barely know me! Daisy's probably only got some kind of interest in me because our eyes match, and the boys are only interested in me as some kind of sex object!"

He wandered over and dropped to the edge of the bed, laying down and patting her back gently before letting his hand drop. "That's what the real world is like, and, to be fair, the girls and guys are very stressed. The boys fix it by thinking about virtually nothing but sex, dirty, dirty, wonderful sex with a hooker for thirteen dollars; I don't really care as long as it's a girl. The girls transfer their problems onto anything they can. May's terrified because of the way she was thrust into the warzone, with her little brother that she's trying her hardest to protect. Meanwhile, Dawn thinks you're ruining May and Ash's true love. She hates Drew for the same reason."

Misty looked at him. "But how could she have known that? I wasn't asking if we could make out until today, and that was only as friends."

He beamed and held out a hand to be shaken. "Hi, I'm Gary Oak. I'd like to be your friend."

"I don't know you all that well, and my past romantic experiences haven't been all that great." She sat up and leaned against the headboard, beginning to, quite literally, twiddle her thumbs while she reflected back on it. "I think it'll take a lot longer for me to trust each person each time I meet them. It's all Butch's fault. You boys are too sex oriented."

"We're not all sex oriented, it's a survival instinct. I don't want to hear about what a jerk your ex was because he didn't open the door for you."

"Oh, no," she explained lightly. "He wasn't my boyfriend. He tried to rape me so I killed him and cremated him in the furnace. The whole place was bleached clean too, but Cassidy is starting to get antsy. She was the real girlfriend, sort of. I think she wasn't putting out though, and that's why he went after me. It seems that my establishment was a lot more corrupt than I thought it was going to be. I like rules and perimeters and the guidelines. They make sense to me. It makes me feel safe. Even though Team Rocket has a lot of rules, less and less of them are being followed."

"Good for us," Gary said to himself. "If the rules aren't being followed, Team Rocket is losing its power. The employees aren't as intimidated any more, they feel safe because we haven't attacked and they've been promised security. They don't have any reason to feel scared." He paused in his thoughts. "He didn't actually touch you, did he? You're okay?"

"No, he kissed me and it hurt a bit, but what I did to him hurt much for. It wasn't a hard fight. I've got a lot of muscles from swimming and he was drunk. I'm fine."

"I can see why he'd want to," Gary remarked. "You're very pretty. Not my type of girl. I don't like them nearly so strong. I like them curvier than you, blonde, agreeable. I want the kind of girl who will shower me with love instead of sarcasm. Who won't be a challenge. When I go for a relationship. I want to avoid everything else in my life. Everyone challenges me, constantly, on everything. It'd be nice to find a girl who didn't. Someone who just…didn't want to talk about my mind or my body, just me."

She shook her head. "But your mind and body are part of who you are. If you believe your essence, your soul, that's you, the soul needs a body to hold it and a brain to drive it. It's all part of what you are. You want a girl to ignore parts of you?"

"I'm just…I'm old fashioned," Gary sighed. "I want a household form the fifties. The mother stays home and cares for the children. I work. Bobby plays football and Jill goes to the sock hop."

"It's hard to find a girl who wants that nowadays, I wish you luck."

"Thanks." He nodded once, briefly, and neither made eyes contact, staring at the red ceiling.

"Gary, do you want to debate about whether a woman should stay at home or pursue a career? Since Ash won't kiss me, I need something to relieve stress. He says he wants a real relationship, he won't just make out with me. I don't understand why. Everything realistic I've read about boys says that they want the exact opposite."

"Ah, well," he chuckled. "Ash is an idiot."

She plopped on her stomach and playfully tugged his hair, suddenly feeling very close to the brunette. "Gary, we can't debate _that_. _That's _a fact."

**

* * *

**Ash had swallowed an entire chicken salad sandwich down so fast; the professor barely had the time to explain to Ash that such food was supposed to be his lunch. By the time he had finished the sentence, the sandwich was gone, and Ash retorted that he had always been told to help himself in Oak's house. Samuel could tell quite clearly that Ash would not be in a logical mood tonight, certainly not on anything as trivial as this. He was going to be grumpy and argumentative. Such a thing wasn't a problem, because the boy had his moods.

Next came the discussion, Ash talked on about what he knew, brought out Meowth and Pikachu and had them help with the story. They showed the blueprints, gave ideas, thoughts, theories, and anything else that could possibly be crammed into a debriefing. Ash named a few of the ways he figured they could get in, and Samuel said he would think about them and see which way looked best. They touched the surface of Ash's social life in the school, but he seemed terribly closed off about that. Though Ash was a likable fellow, it seemed he was always lacking the ability to make new friends, and the ones he had he had known since nearly birth. They had not expected him to be the most popular boy in school, in fact, one of the biggest reasons he had been sent.

"Well, Ash, everything sounds like it went fine," Oak said, reviewing the lecture. In fact, better than fine that you even managed to locate Kenny. I hadn't known that was where Dawn snuck off to. Have no fear; she won't be punished any time soon."

Ash nodded and ran a finger along the plastic wrap, sucking it clean of mayonnaise. "I'm not worried about it. You probably couldn't really punish her with the way she's been acting. I pretty sure, if we don't get Kenny back soon, she's gonna pitch a fit and run home. She's really worried. I don't know if she's gonna be able to take the stress much longer. If you see May before I do, let her know to hang out with Dawn a little more, try to calm her down. May can really mellow people out."

"Now, onto the most pressing matter." Samuel drummed his fingers on his wooden desk, glancing briefly around at the unorganized mess of a room before gazing down at his fingers. "You brought two Rockets, one willing, one unwilling. The former was a smart move, as Meowth's knowledge of where Kenny is kept, as well as the floor above it, will provide most useful. The latter was a horrible kind of judgment, and it was terrible of you to do that to the girl. You lost control; you blurted something you shouldn't of. I simply can't believe that you would do something as crazy as to reveal Stealth as your father. The rumors, some of them _correct_, have a lot to say about the infamous Strength, son of Stealth. You've got your own songs."

Ash focused intently on the plastic wrap. "I didn't _ask _for this. I didn't do it on purpose, Professor. There's just something about her that makes me stupid. I lose it every once in a while with her. I lost my temper with Dawn for the first time because of her and…and the situation with Kenny, which comes back to the situation of my lineage because we all know why Mom sent in somebody to try to protect me. Funny, how it turns out I didn't need protecting. Considering all the things I've been told my entire life not to do, you'd think that she would be afraid that Team Rocket would need protecting. I am crazy after all."

"You're not crazy," Delia chided. "Don't talk like that. Sam, tell him not to talk like that."

"Ash, you have to admit that bringing Misty here was a horrible mistake. I understand why you did it, why you blurted it. I've been in that state too. Sometimes a pretty girl talks to you and you just lose your head. She kissed you, and you're not a very kissy person, Ash. It's very rare for you to kiss a girl and I'm sure it still holds an amazing amount of power of you, as a teenager. However, you shouldn't have done it. You should have lied. You should have said anything else, Ash. You didn't know for sure that she wouldn't turn you in to Team Rocket. What if she had pulled a gun on you? Sent you to Giovanni himself? What would you do then?"

"Rip his dick off for killing my dad," Ash muttered.

His mother's eyes widened. "Ash! I can't believe you today!"

"No! You can't! Because you don't get it!" He laughed and stood up, jamming his hands under his hat and into his hair. "Don't you understand? I'm _lying._ It wasn't a _mistake._ I didn't blurt what happened. There wasn't any point where I didn't want to bring her here. It's not because I love her! I'm not some love struck teen, you get me? I brought her because I need to understand what makes her different. I need to know why I can't put her in the same group as you. I need to know what makes her as good as me. You can't explain it, and, if you can, I don't think I'd believe it from you. I can't believe it from you." He leaned himself against the wall, face into the chipping paint. "I can't believe it from me."

"You know what it is?" Oak asked carefully.

"Oh, I know. I'm pretty sure I know, but I don't want to admit it. I don't want it to be true because then it's just all inevitable. That means that she's the youngest Yawa. That means she's a gym leader. That explains her obsession with water. That means she's the same little girl I used to wrestle with when I was little. That means she's the same little girl I swore that I wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. That was the girl I promised to have _babies _with, not marry, but have _babies _with. I know what it all means. But I don't want it to be her. I don't need this. I don't need to revisit all those broken promises. If it is her…I'd rather her be dead than have gone through that."

"Oh, Ash," she whispered, and she seemed barely able to say a thing else. It was his name she murmured, over and over and over again.

"If it is what I think it is, they warped her from what she used to be. And whenever I see her now…part of it's coming back but…she's changed but she isn't. She's still there. She's still her." He groaned. "She just hates me now and doesn't remember me or any of us."

He pulled a short, glass test tube from his pocket and marched to the desk, rolling the thing across the table. "That's DNA from her. Could you do me the favor and test it? Don't look at it, just run the test and give me the results. You've got computers that can do it for you. If…if it's the same Misty I think it is, I think I should be the one to break the news, if it needs breaking. I think it's better to hear it from me, just because…of certain things."

"I can," the professor said slowly, picking up the vial.

Ash's hand slammed suddenly on the desk. "And no matter what, you won't do a thing to her without her consent, and if she does consent, she has to know _exactly _what it means. You have to list all the bad and the good; you can't just tell her the good stuff and lead her into some stupid test. I won't let her. You did it to Gary and you know better now. You say you won't do it again but we both know how scientists get. Once you can do something, it's hard not to. You've got something interesting and you want to play with it. Anytime you think that you look right at us, Professor. You look right into Misty's eyes or right into mine and tell me that what you see isn't every bit as human and intelligent and purposeful as you are…"

And he finished with the words they all had at the end of their tongues, "…Maybe even better."

"You think you're better than me?" Oak asked. "Don't you think that's a little young and brash?"

"I'm young and brash," Ash retorted, though he wasn't quite sure what brash meant, and would have to ask someone later on. "I'm not saying I think I am, but we both know that it's a possibility. I know my weakness, but you don't acknowledge yours. You won't say that you've got that scientist fault, the thing that makes you great. You can overlook the emotion and see facts on paper, and that's dangerous, because it's easy to cross the line!"

He kneeled at the desk, one of his hands grabbing at the older man's. "I don't like to bring it up, I hate to but I have to, because you have to understand. What you did to Gary looks like the right thing, but I promise you, if he had known? He wouldn't have wanted it. Even now he regrets it, because he remembers the difference. He wants it back, and thanks to what you did, he never can. The parts don't fit right anymore. It's a one way street, downgrade only. What you did was a horrible, horrible thing. You should never forgive yourself for that. When you look at him, you should see that mistake, because it will stop you from ever making it again."

"That's awfully cynical," Delia whispered. "When did you get that way?"

"I have something to protect," Ash continued. "I've always protected you, and my pokémon, and my friends, but Misty is different, Misty's like me and I need to prove that. I need someone who's like me to be my friend, so we can understand what's going on. Plus, during all this time, I like her more than I ever liked May or the other girls I've dated. I couldn't stand it you ruined all that for me. You had a wife once, professor. She was a scientist like you, a rare, female scientist that you barely had in your day. She was smart, matched you perfectly. Look at my mother, someone you can talk about all this science stuff with and somehow she _gets _it."

"I wouldn't dream of taking that from you, Ash," the professor whispered.

Ash dropped the hand furiously. "That's exactly what I mean. Don't deny it. You dream about it. You want to take it away from me as badly as you do from her. My mother has accepted me, and my friends have been so damn immersed in it they don't care. But you can't help yourself. You're a scientist, and I forgive you. I'm another project. But if you don't admit it, it can't get better. I'll always be a toy to you, and _that's _why I'm hurting you. It's the last way I can think of to get you to understand.

"_You destroyed your grandson's life. _Don't you fucking _dare _try to wreck mine."

Ash Ketchum stormed out, feeling a bit dirty, but undeniably proud that he had won the fight.

**

* * *

**I basically wrote this in two sessions. O.o One was an eight thousand word session! Gees, that was tiring.

_**IMPORTANT FOR REVIEWERS**_**: **Due to the major hints in the chapter, I'd prefer if you kept theories to yourself on what exactly I've revealed to you. Review, of course, but try not to guess on what the big secret is about Ash, Misty, Gary or anyone else. I'd rather not have someone reading this go through the reviews and get the mystery ruined for them because someone else got it before they did. I want everyone to have a chance. However, I'm eager to hear what you thought. If you wish to tell me, PM me your ideas. I'm not going to respond (painful as it is for me) because I don't want to ruin the surprise for you either! But, it'll be a couple chapters (maybe) before the next big secret is revealed, so you'll have to be patient!


	17. Christmas

_**Christmas**_

The next few weeks flashed by, though Ash and Misty were constantly trying to get a chance alone, Delia would always appear smiling with a glint of knowing behind their eyes, encouraging them away from whatever would have been their fighting arena down to wherever everyone else was and grudgingly they would go. Or, at least, Ash would, if a certain someone was in the room Delia was herding them too. Though Misty had met with everyone, nice, calm introductions with no one jumping at her, introductions like she had with Professor Oak, she refused to meet with May, not on the account that she hated her, but on the account that she couldn't stand a conflict where everyone would be looking at her to fail.

Ash rubbed her back gently as she lay face first in the couch. Brock held her hand in one of his. Together they attempted to cheer her up after yet another episode of hiding from May. Perhaps it had gone to far, but hearing the door open, Misty had shot upstairs and hid in the bathtub with a thin blanket. She had been attempting to shield herself with it when they finally found her, making it a difficult task when they tried to bring the blinded, thrashing girl down. When they finally had, May had gone, and Misty felt guilty for her bad behavior.

"Misty," Brock began slowly. "It's alright. There had to be someone you wouldn't get along with perfectly. The odds that everyone you meet will like you are astronomical, and, odds are, that you and May will turn out to be friends. You have to understand that she's practically a mother when it comes to Max, and overprotective on top of it. So, when you bring in something that has the potential to be dangerous, it's perfectly normal to feel a little fear. It's not you yourself, Misty, it's the circumstances or where you came from and how you got here."

"How do you hate someone you've never even met?" Misty mumbled into the couch. "And I'm _not _upset about that. That's why I don't want to talk to her. I'm _upset_ because I just spent an hour and twenty six minutes hiding in a bathtub while you and Ash and May had a fun time down here. I should have just come down and talk to her, but I didn't. I hid in a freaking bathtub. What kind of brave Rocket warrior hides in a bathtub?"

"You're not a Rocket warrior anymore," Ash tried helpfully.

She spun around and gave him a good hit on the shoulder, smirking at his yelp of pain, before she caught something out of the corner of her eye. She was at the window in a flash, glaring out into the icy snow and one single tree that had just appeared. Not only had it just appeared, but said outdoor tree was huge, the height of the two story house and decorated. Little, cute bulbs hung from the branches, strings of popcorn and shiny plastic and beads wrapped themselves around. There was a star on top, crudely made, something perhaps Ash had done when he was just a child and pokémon frolicked around it, Brock's and Ash from what she had heard, with Pikachu occasionally bouncing over to the tree and zapping the cord to make the lights glow.

She looked back at them, then back at the tree as she tried to recall what it could have possibly been. It tickled her senses, some little memory at the back of her mind, but it faded quickly. She turned to them again and asked, "Why did you decorate a tree?"

"It's for Christmas," Ash explained casually. "It's a really old holiday, before the Extinction War. Almost every culture on Earth celebrated it. Most people celebrated it for religious reasons, but some just did it for fun. It was a novelty. There was a lot of fun traditions involved, including Christmas day. We generally exchange one or two presents, but there's just a party this year. We're not bothering with that. Everybody has been on a lot of missions, so it'd be pretty disappointing if you got caught up and forgot a person or two."

Brock glared. "How could you forget me?"

"There was a dead bunny rabbit! _Dead_, Brock! Cute little fluffy creature, dead as a doornail. I know it sucked but I apologized and got you something in the end, so just drop it!"

Misty quietly pulled away, licked her lips, and declared, "I'm going upstairs. Gary says the egg should be hatching any day now, and I want to make sure it stays safe. Ash, would you mind coming up with me? I have to tell you something important."

"Can't you just tell me here?"

"No," she argued, catching him in the eye. There was something there that made him gulp, a tiny bit of panic and excitement rising in his throat. "There's something I need to talk to you about in private. If you could get off your lazy ass and come upstairs, without anyone else, especially since your mother isn't home, perhaps we could talk about a few things and fix some of the problems we've been having so I don't stab you at the dinner table. Brock can stand staying down here for a few minutes. I'll give him back. You don't mind, do you?"

Brock grinned nervously. "Yup, don't mind at all. In fact, I'm happy for you to take the idiot off my hands."

"You don't have to come up right on my heels. You deserve a little bit of free will, but not much," Misty said absently, "and you better be upstairs pretty fast. I don't have all day." She snorted at that. "Well, actually, I do, but if your mom gets home that ruins just about everything."

The second she was gone, the darker boy began to make kissing sounds, turning around and pretending he had a girl in his arms, every once in a while making a little moan or girlish gasp of pleasure while Ash rolled his eyes, gave him a good smack to the head, and hauled his blushing face upstairs. She was, of course, sitting in his room, egg beside her, looking at him in a very business like fashion and cracking her knuckles. Not as if to intimidate him, but as a way to pass the time. She gave him a small smile, but a real one.

"Ash, you know what I want to talk about, don't you? With your mom out and everything, needing to be alone?"

"The kissing thing?" Somehow, he knew it was going to be the wrong thing to say, but his mouth opened and the stupid words had fallen out of his mouth. Of course it wouldn't be, but at the moment he would take that over the actual topics she wanted to bring up. He really hated those topics, because his mind kept flashing back to Oak and the test results that still hadn't come in. Kissing seemed a lot nicer, though still just as terrifying.

"That's not what I want to talk about and if I know you like I think I do, you don't want to talk about it either," Misty shook her head slowly. "Physical attraction, though it seems nice enough when you're just talking about it, will completely freak you out when you actually attempt anything. You're a scared, shy, little boy. I'm pretty nervous about that too, but that's pleasure. That comes after the facts. And, as creepy as the facts might be, there's the things I really want to know. I want to know what I am, why we're having so many weird problems, who's stronger, who's smarter, who's faster and…Ash, I know you probably don't want to tackle this hurdle, but I'm sure you know that answer. I'm pretty sure everyone but me knows what the answer is."

He closed his eyes and groaned. "Please, Misty, please don't tell me it's about the Yawa girls."

She sighed. "It is. Ash, they just…you heard Lily the other day. She made a slip. First, they were from Goldenrod. Then, they were from Cerulean. I had to confront them on it, confront everyone and everyone was reluctant to admit it! Then…their _other _last name? The one they have to put down on legal documents? Waterflower is the gym name of Cerulean City! And I did research! I researched my…"

Her hand automatically went to her chest, where the necklace hung beneath the clothes. She gulped, clutching it briefly before taking it off her neck and dangling it in the air. The teardrop, one that Ash had in his collection of Kanto badges, that made his heart leap up in his chest. No matter how badly he wanted to deny it now, the blue badge confirmed it. And she confirmed it, "This is the Cerulean City Gym's badge. I found that out. I read about it in the book, Satoshi's book, but, I thought I must be thinking about it the wrong way, or that it was some coincidence but…the leadership is passed down through family lines, and when I look at Daisy's eyes…"

"You wonder if you have a sister," he replied quietly. "Three sisters, in fact."

"They _are_ my sisters, aren't they?" Misty asked. "If you don't want me to tell, I won't. But you can tell me. If you don't say anything I'll just assumed that it's a yes. You can't lie, Ash. You can't lie to anyone, and I bet I could see through you even if you did."

He sighed and glared up at the ceiling. He shouldn't have brought her, should have brought a nice girl, a truly stupid girl with big, blue eyes and hair that she spent hours obsessing over. A girl who cared more about what was on her head than what was in it. That would be nice. He definitely should have sprung for one of those. Instead, he got this wild thing who, at the moment, would have been better off in a cage in the basement until he had the answers she wanted.

"I can't make any promises," he replied. "You probably are. Everyone's sure of it. If you are, yes, you would be a gym leader. Daisy, Violet and Lily aren't into battling and they would pass it right down to you. You've got the badge. It has to be you. It should have a C engraved on one side if you want absolute proof. If nothing else, it shows that you killed the real Misty and took over her body. We'll find out for sure once I get the tests back."

"What tests?" Misty asked, her eyes suddenly hard. "There's a test with my genetic information that you requested? Who the _fuck _is doing the test?"

He gulped. "Listen, it's Professor Oak, and I've already told him not to look at anything. He's running it in an old computer, with no internet, and getting all the details and cracking the DNA code isn't exactly a fifth grade science lab. The computer is the oldest thing you'll ever find. It's barely operational and half of the professor's time is taken up trying to keep it running. I'm sorry, but all the information is shared with you and I…I guess I just didn't think to ask you."

"You didn't think to ask me?" she cried out. "What, you didn't think I'd care? You didn't think that I…that all of my private information that my…" Misty closed her eyes and dropped her head to her lap. "All my personality traits, my faults, my desires, it's all going to be printed out on a sheet of paper, and you weren't even going to tell me? You were going to read it yourself and not even let me know! How could you do that? You didn't think I'd care? You do know what you're doing was illegal before Team Rocket took over, and is now currently illegal to everyone aside from Team Rocket."

"I know," he murmured. "But there's only two things I'm testing for. The professor knows that. He's…the computer has to crack all the code to get it, but all it will print out are the two things I need to know, you need to know. The first is if you're a Yawa."

"And the second?" she asked.

"If it's a no I…we can hope it's a no and you won't have to find out. I know you won't forgive me but-"

"That's not it, actually," she whispered. Her teal eyes blinked slowly, then went up to meet his. "That's not why I'm angry. I never thought for a second you'd look at all that stuff. If you were after a genetic test, you'd probably be a big sap about it, surprising me on Christmas by telling me I've got a gym. I'm angry because I don't care. I thought about you knowing all those things and I just didn't care. In fact, I realized that, with all the time we've spent together, you probably already do."

He smiled. "That's a good thing."

She stood up slowly, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "If you want, we can wrestle. Your mom isn't home and we still need to figure out the whole placement. We can't battle until the summer, until we get an ocean or an arena to really duke it out, but we can fight. We can wrestle. I bet we could even go outside and do it. I bet Brock wouldn't care. So, the egg is safe here if you want to go outside for a minute and-"

She barely managed a yelp as he tackled he onto the bed, hard enough to make the house thunder and shake. She slid out, through his legs and running across the room, crouching on a chair and smirking. She began the common strategy for a tiny, fast creature. She darted in and gave him a hard punch to the leg, rushing back out and feeling a happy rush as he crumpled. She took aim and then, carefully, she rushed in, from behind this time, and knocked his other leg out from under him, hitting the floor. The third strike she was overeager, and when she ran forward he grabbed her and pinned her.

"That _really _hurt," he muttered.

"It was supposed to. I'm not playing," she glared and crossed her arms. "Well, how the hell do we figure out who wins?"

He suggested lightly, "Knock-out? That's a lot like a pokémon battle. Seems fair."

"But we don't know attacks," she protested. Her knee swept up and caught him hard in the stomach, and she pushed him off, jumping up to the bed. "Plus, it's a lot harder to tell with people than pokémon. Pokémon know when to quit, or, when they don't, the trainer generally can. How do you know I won't beat you into a pulp like I did with Butch? That was all me, no firearms. I beat him to death. Could happen to you."

"Nah," he smirked. "You _love _me."

There was a growl and she leapt at him, tackling him into the carpet and really giving the house a shake. A moment later, they leapt away, not because they realized they were close, but because Mrs. Ketchum's voice was drifting up the stairs, testily calling, "You two aren't fighting, are you?"

They gulped and replied, perfectly in sync, "No, ma'am! I tripped!"

**

* * *

**All the Yawa girls, and Gary, had taken a break from their project to decorate the lobby of the Oak mansion. Delia had brought Ash and Misty, though she had long since vanished somewhere with Professor Oak. The older girls giggled, their minds going to the worst places while Gary and Ash protested any thought that they could one day be related. What everyone could laugh about, however, was the excited way Misty's eyes lit up as she bounded around the room, looking at all the different streamers and ornaments she was seeing for the first time.

And Misty wasn't the only one, for Meowth had been properly integrated into his new home. It had taken a couple weeks after they first managed to pop open the pokeball (as the pokémon had been terrified and kept crawling back inside) and force him around the area. With his favorite Jazzy leading him around, he was calm and even relaxed enough to openly chat with humans, his mind unfogged by poison. He was affectionate to Pikachu, but everyone else got a smile, a wave, a nod, and nothing more.

"Oh," he said, pointing up. "It appears we've met unda da mistletoe, Jazzy. Would ya like to kiss?"

She looked up slowly, then to him, and with a large smile replied, (_Don't call me Jazzy, and you're not quite boyfriend material yet. When you stop looking for a fix of poison and ripping open rats, _then _we'll see where we can take this. You've made great improvements however. You have a very good chance. I'm just not a very loose girl. I'm very conservative. I don't kiss just anyone you know. Do you think I'm some kind of whore?_)

"No! No!" Meowth exclaimed, waving his hands wildly. "I didn't mean-"

The mouse laughed. (_I'm just screwin' with ya, Aiden. Let's go make a baby in the basement._)

They snickered at the thought, instead continuing to race around the room and nearly throw Ash off balance, and Misty ended her exploration with a stop under a small green plant that dangled above her head. Eyes flicked over, but no one said a thing as she batted at it, jumped to get a better look, though Daisy did feel a twitch of maternal instinct and kept a close watch on her. That was how she was the first one across the room when Misty dragged over a chair and attempted to eat one of the poisonous berried on the plant. The blonde had swiftly yanked her back around her waist and set her on the floor with a gentle smack to the back of her head.

The redhead blinked slowly and then calmly asked, "What's that?"

"_That_," Daisy explained, "is mistletoe. It's a little, ugly, _poisonous _plant that, when you stand under, you're forced to kiss someone."

Misty's nose wrinkled up tightly, glaring at the little plant, which she batted at once more. "I read about mistletoe in one of my classes. It's a parasite, and it's poisonous, but I don't remember anything about kissing. Does it have some sort of pheromone locked inside that, when you're under it, actually makes you so attracted to another that you're forced to kiss them? That would be a very significant miss on my textbook's part."

"No, it's much, much worse," Daisy chuckled. "It's a tradition. So, if you get caught under the mistletoe, everyone jeers and laughs and snickers and shoves you together until you finally have an embarrassing, short, crappy first kiss that really was a waste even if it happens to be with the same guy you have a crush on now who's a complete and total idiot and doesn't even realize you like them though you've done pretty much everything you can think of and just want to strip naked, push him to the wall and make out in the hopes that he might, just _might _understand what the hell is going on. But, at least it's pretty special. And kissing under the mistletoe is pretty romantic."

Misty grinned, proud of her well of knowledge bubbling up. "You mean Tracey."

She stiffened and pouted, stomping her foot. "_Everyone _knows what him, and this little runt can't even figure out the difference between love and a force marriage between two unwilling parties based on genetic compatibility! Why the hell can't that idiot figure it out! It's not hard! It's not like Lil and Vi are the sharpest blades in the knife drawer and they even know who I have a crush on! Good _Arceus_, Gary! Gary, you know him best! Does he have any kind of clue at all?"

Gary looked up smugly from the popcorn he had been eating off the string while the unknowing Ash put it on, his face growing more and more furious as time passed and it still didn't seem like his work was ending anytime soon. Peeking out from behind the tree, swallowing the popcorn, he said in a clear, professional voice he surely used for his meetings, "I'm sorry, Miss Yawa, I am not in the position to disclose this information. If you would like to lodge a formal complaint-"

Daisy did lodge a complaint, by picking up a pillow and chucking it at his head. The assault was short lived, and everyone stopped what they were doing as Misty jogged to one end of the room, grabbing his arm, and then dragged him back under the mistletoe. Her hands cupped his chin gently, and she kissed him, a slow, lingering kiss before she pulled away and gave another confused look to her possible older sibling.

"That didn't seem special."

The whole room erupted into laughter, all except for Gary and Misty. Misty was confused as to why it was so hilarious, and Gary had turned a bright shade of red while he screamed defenses for his kissing skills. So, disappointed at it all, she walked over to her egg and held it close, smiling as she ran her finger along the small crack that had begun appearing that morning. It was nearly all around the egg now and, slowly, she lowered her ear to it. The little creature was scratching wildly, still trying to crack the shell, and Misty was compelled to help it out, to break little parts of the egg and assist it.

"Gary," she called over the laughter. "Didn't you say that baby was weak? It was exposed to the volcano too much and now it can't…I think it's stuck in the egg. Am I allowed to break it out, or is that going to hurt it?"

Gary put a hand to the back of his neck, pulling the arm in close to his body while he massaged his aching muscles. He sauntered over and looked at it, then nodded. "Sure, if you want to help break it out it's fine. It won't hurt it or help it either way. The fact that it was able to crack the egg means it's healthy enough. It would be able to break it out, but it takes forever. I like to break them out myself. Now, we already covered that the eevee is shiny, which we were able to pick up on when I used the nice, color equipment. It's a grey color. It's not sick, it's just special. So, yank that baby out."

"Baby girl," Misty murmured to herself.

"Yes," he muttered. "We already proved I was wrong. It's a baby girl. Will you just break _her _out so I can take _her _up to the room and check _her _vitals?"

Misty smirked and began her work, gently pushing and wriggling little pieces of eggshells out until she had a thick line of empty space, but for one large chunk of shell holding it all up in the back. A little grey paw darted in and out, making the girl beam as the soft paw graced her hand. Then, with an excited thunder of her heart, she pulled off the top and pulled out the scrambling thing inside, little legs thrashing in the air. She held him close and she settled a bit, nestling into Misty's neck and taking deep breaths in and out, getting used to her scent.

"That's right, baby," she murmured quietly. "I'm your mommy, yeah. I'm gonna be your mommy for a long time. And Gary's going to be a nice boy and he's going to get you a bottle and some nice formula so you don't die, isn't Gary? Isn't Gary such a nice boy."

He growled and grumbled, marching up to his room while she held the baby close, rocking her back and forth as the others stepped in to look and ooh and ahh. The eevee looked up at each one briefly, before digging into Misty's neck and warming herself there. There was, of course, a certain amount of weakness about her. Though she thrashed, it wasn't powerful. Her hind legs had a bit less muscle mass that one would expect from a healthy babe, but seemed relatively okay aside from it all. Her ears were rabbit like, light grey on the edge and dark grey inside. Big, brown eyes with large, round pupils blinked and took in her surroundings. A small black nose twitched on her face. A large ruffle of fur surrounded her neck, and the tail was round and fluffy, a whitish blued dividing the upper from lower half.

"We should nickname him," Lily blurted excitedly.

"Aoko is Japanese for blue child, becoming a more popular name too," Violet suggested. "Looks like a real washed out bluish color to me, not too grey. I think that would be a pretty cool name. You don't have to name it, though, it's kind of unfair to the other pokémon."

Ash shook his head, scratching the baby under its chin. "They don't like it because they aren't used to it, plus, it's the names their families called them before you take them away. Some of them don't mind, and I'm sure if the baby accepts Misty as her mother whatever name she chooses will be fine. You like the name, or do you just want to be uncreative and call the thing Ella or Vee? I'm sure she won't care."

"I like Aoko," Misty said with a soft smile. She pet the baby's head and cuddled her close as the brown eyes began to close. "That's the baby's name. Aoko. It's cute."

And Jasmine, the pikachu, bounded over to lick the baby's forehead, and to assure that the name was firmly pushed into the tiny skull whispered, (_Hello little Aoko. I'm going to be your auntie, babe. I'm going to take care of you. Can you say Aoko?_)

The baby blinked it's sleepy eyes and smiled, these words made as much sense as her mother's, an accent and gesture she could understand. She licked Pikachu's nose in return and said in her little, baby voice: (_'Oko._)

**

* * *

**Perhaps the most baffling thing about Misty was how terribly attached she had become to Ash's clothes. She would only allow herself to wash them. She only wore one pair. She refused to let anyone touch the outfit. She had become undeniably territorial over the clothes. She said it was because, after all this time, they fit nice, they felt nice, even if they were a little hot for her. Often times, she would wander around without the vest, black shirt loosely dangling from her torso.

She was ambushed by the giggling Yawa sisters, as well as Dawn, and hauled off to the large apartment with the huge closet Dawn had, stuffed with clothes. Misty had only put up a struggle to ask Ash if it was okay, and after he had a brief discussion with Daisy about what they could and couldn't do to Misty (if the redhead protested he urged them to immediately drop it and move on for their own safety) and sent them on their way.

Misty had taken the vest with her to tuck in Aoko and hold her close. The little eevee had spent the night before dashing about Ash's room while the two of them, undisturbed had continued snoring the night away. Now that the sun was up, she spent her time snoring, though Gary was urging Misty to break the habit and switch the times, for the mere trouble it would cause when she grew up and needed to battle or function with her human companions. Misty had stuck her tongue out but promised she would get to work on it, and wake the baby up an hour earlier each day, so as to slowly transition it. Though, half of her reluctance was that she had things to do, and didn't need to spend the entire time caring for an annoying, screaming baby.

She was led inside to a large room filled to the brim with clothes, and while the girls began to giggle amongst themselves, she cuddled her pokémon even tighter than before and found a corner in the back, behind dresses and shoes and curled up tight and hoped no one would notice. Of course, they did, eventually, but for a little while before the girls got into a little circle, giggling (which Misty was beginning to notice they did an awful lot) and discussing how to dress up their brand new play thing. It had been a good while since they had a doll, especially since Zoey, the resident redhead, refused to let them dress her.

"Okay," Dawn giggled excitedly. "So, we'll want to stay away from the reds because we've got a redhead and since her hair is really, really orange we'll want to keep away from those too. Oh, and greens are a definite no. But, since she's got your kind of blue eyes, Daisy, I was thinking that we could match her up with some blue. Plus, you look so great in yellow, brings out your eyes, somehow it just highlights your skin tone. Don't you think she would look great?"

"Dawn," Lily sighed, taking the young girl's hands in hers. "I don't think you understand what exactly we're trying to do here. It's not just about making her look good. It's about dressing her up in a tiny, skimpy outfit so we can hopefully get Ash to crash and finally prove that he's got a crush on a girl. Plus, if we're related Misty and she marries Ash and Delia and Oak get married we're all like one giant family tree, which is really, really cool. Aside from all that, I want to make sure she's not prettier than me."

"Ugh, Mew," Violet rolled her eyes, shoving her sister playfully. "We're twins. I'm gorgeous, so you're gorgeous! Look at us! Everything's perky, we've got laser hair removal so everything's nice and smooth, all our curves are tight. We're some hot bitches, Lil. Besides what makes you think that her boobs would be bigger than yours?"

"How do you know I was talking about her boobs?" she shot back.

Daisy snorted, "Duh, this month is boob month. It's December. You always freak out about your boobs in December. Next month it's your thighs. Same thing every year. And the reason she's all nervous is because Ash brought back samples of their food cubes? Yeah, the pills give them the power to ignore their libido but the food cubes have got hormones and shit in it that'll make everyone in the school sexual fantasies. So, say she was supposed to be a C cup? Double D's."

Violet's eyes widened. "That's a lie! Everything they do is for fighting! Why the fuck would they do that, Days?"

"Because it's run by a bunch of freaky old perverts. Giovanni? Yeah, we all know that he's banging his assistants. That's how he gets his kicks."

"Hey, Misty," Dawn called. "Would you mind getting dressed for us?"

The girl poked her head out from behind the racks of clothes, having made a nice little nest for eevee in the back, and wrinkled her nose at the blue haired girl. The hatred had passed, a little resentment still shine through, but the rage was gone and they were on relatively good terms with one another. Dawn was trying not to blame Misty for the things that had happened, and Misty was trying to shake off the heebee jeebies she got whenever Dawn stared just a little too long.

"But I'm already dressed," Misty protested. "I can't get dressed if I'm already dressed, and I don't even know what I want to dress up as. You have so many outfits here, and I like the one I have on. It smells like me and it's nice and warm and comfy."

Dawn huffed, a little miffed that the other three had continued the conversation without her. She crossed her arms and waved her on. "Fine, fine, undress then. Whatever you want to call it. Pick out an outfit to try on or something. We'll be with you in a second." Then she dove into the conversation. "Listen, I'm telling you, there's no way Brock has ever banged any girl, ever! No girl would ever let him! He's so excited about it too! It makes me wonder if he's not covering for being gay."

Violet groaned. "Ugh, no. He walked in on me naked one time. _Definitely _straight. I nearly kicked his straight ass, that little bastard. He just kept staring and gawking and not moving while his dangle wasn't exactly dangling anymore. I swear, he probably still thinks about it."

"Not that you don't want him too," Daisy giggled. "I bet even if Tracey walked in-holy shit she's definitely a Yawa!"

The others turned to look at what had made the calm, never surprised Daisy's eyes bulge out of her head. There was Misty, with the exact same attitude she had displayed with Ash, doing exactly as Dawn had asked. She had undressed and was now sorting through the clothes to find an outfit that might be comfortable and warm and soft. Daisy had exclaimed for two reasons, the first was the fearless way she was strolling around naked, butt naked. Feeling their gaze, she even turned to give them a frown and a full frontal shot that made the Yawas smirk and Dawn flush and turn away. The second was really two things, the necklace dangling around her neck and a blue tattoo of a Cerulean badge on her butt.

"Hold on," Violet said, jumping to her feet and running over. She spun the girl around and poked the tattoo, ignoring the complaint, then, to compare it, yanked one side of her pants down to reveal a matching badge of her own. "Shit! Lil! Days! It's a fucking perfect match! It's on the right side and everything! Holy fucking crap! I didn't know we got the tattoo that young. I thought we got it when we were like, twelve or something. Then again, I guess I can't really remember getting it. It's just sorta always been there."

"Why did you poke my butt?"

"Because you have a tattoo! _The _tattoo! The badge!" Violet said, poking it again.

Misty turned to look at it, mouth dropping open and poking it with her own finger. "Holy shit! I do! I never really noticed that." She shrugged. "Guess I never really looked. It's awfully pretty though. Glad I can't remember when I got it, those are supposed to hurt really bad. But you guys were talking all about how Lily's self conscious about herself, and I don't really see why. You all have boys all over you. Tracey loves Daisy. Brock's after Violet and Gary's after Lily even though he's way to young and she can't take him seriously. Ash filled me in on all the gossip, and most of it was pretty obvious anyway."

"Brock doesn't-" Violet began.

"No, he does," Misty argued, carefully turning back to the rack and picking out a yellow shirt. "I don't know how bad he has it, but he looks at you a lot. He tries not to bring your name up, but he almost subconsciously brings the topic to the Yawas and, inevitably, to you. He thinks your poems and stories are really nice. He said that you were the script writer, and you guys used to put plays on all the time, really well written plays for an eight year old. But you all stopped. He said you guys were having a lot of fun, but you ended up stopping by the time when you were ten. How come?"

Violet sighed, pulling up her pants. "The war caught us all up. We didn't have time to do fun stuff like we used to. We have missions and things to worry about and-"

"You need a stress reliever," Misty retorted, stooping to pick up a pair of short jeans. "If you work all the time you'll become overloaded with stress and then you won't be able to do your job right. I try to find stress relievers all the time. Of course, the ones I want to use now I can't. I can't swim, I can't fight, and Ash absolutely refuses to…" She trailed off, shaking her head and deciding that certain things were probably better left private. "It's really been affecting me. I need something to relax."

"Poor baby," Daisy clucked her tongue, watching as the girl picked up the final piece to her outfit, a pair of red suspenders. "What can we do to help?"

Misty ducked back and pulled on her new clothes and, of course, her old underwear, then wandered back out with a big smile. The outfit, colors that shouldn't have meshed, a tomboyish get up that shouldn't have been attractive in the least highlighted strong swimmer legs and arms, a barely showing six pack, and all the bumps and curves. She was pretty. Strangely pretty, but still pretty.

She began to bounce a bit, suddenly excited. "Can we go out and get peppermint bark after? The really good stuff with high quality chocolate."

Lily giggled and hugged the girl, who wriggled a little and stiffened under the sudden touch. "Sure, baby, we can get you some peppermint bark! You're just so cute!"

Misty eyed Daisy, still shifting in her newfound sister's grasp. The touching was not on her list of things she enjoyed, since the people she generally hung out with were devoid of nearly all emotion and, even those who were weren't very interested in giving her a hug. "Will I have to put up with this a lot?"

"Sorry, baby," she chuckled. "That's the way this family is."

"Mew, I hope those DNA results come out negative," Misty muttered, finally getting out of the pink haired girl's grasp.

She was ordered to spin around, so everyone could take a good look at her. The ridiculous outfit that somehow managed to click, blue, yellow and red merged like only primary colors could. And, though no one could be sure whether it was intended or not, the outfit was a bit tight and form fitting. If you tried, you could imagine it to be sexy. She seemed to be content in her new clothes, and judging how she had been with her last set, she probably wasn't about to toss this aside. Indeed, she was still attached to her old set, and clutched them tightly with her baby bundled up inside once she was allowed to hide away from her corner.

The girls gossiped and laughed and chatted, but Misty couldn't really bring herself to care. She knew what Ash was doing at that moment, and she wanted to be with him.

**

* * *

**And at that moment, he wanted to be with her, because anything had to be better than waiting for the critical news. Waiting for that folder was painful, and he was stalking around the lobby like a persian in a cage hoping to dull it. Shake it out, his mom had told him. If he shook it out, walked around, maybe he wouldn't kill someone. As it was, he was having a hard time not jumping Gary. Gary at his laptop, with fingers flying and keys clicking and sounds of pokémon flying out of the tiny speakers. Every sound he heard every motion he saw from the corner of his eyes made his heart race even faster, as if _that _was the thing causing him trouble.

"So, Ash," he said lightly. "There's only two ways this can go, and I'm pretty sure we both know which way you want it to."

Ash stopped in his pacing for a moment to look at the other. His foot was slightly raised, poised to take the next step, but curiosity overrode it. His foot settled on the floor and he turned to completely face him. "What do you mean?"

"You love her, Ash," Gary said, turning back to his laptop. "And though it's the selfish thing, you want her to be just like us. More specifically, like you. Not that things wouldn't work out if she wasn't. We're perfectly compatible together, but things would be so much more convenient. It would be more convenient if you just had the surgery. You wouldn't have the mood swings, Ash. You've been mimicking what you see, but I know you. You've never really made anything. You've copied, changed words to fit the situation, but you don't get it. You don't _fit_. You're the most likable person in the world and it's all because if you were really yourself they'd drag you out into the street and stone you."

"So I should get the surgery?" Ash snorted. "Perfect! I can live my life wondering what I never had like you! Sounds fun!"

Gary closed his laptop, then his eyes, breathing slowly. "There's many things I would have liked to be different, Ash. As hard as it is for you to understand this, I know _exactly _what you're talking about. You don't want to be like everyone else. You feel special. You know you're special. You don't want to sacrifice that. But it comes at a price. That superiority complex separates you. I can pretend to be a pokémon, Ash. They'll take me in, treat me like one of their own, I can go through the actions, but at the end of the day everyone, even me, knows that I'll never be one of them. Better or worse is up to someone else to decide."

He gulped. "I wouldn't be strong."

"She wouldn't be fast," Gary argued.

Clenched fists were so tight Ash almost screamed, his hands were aching and yet somehow none of the tension could be released. So he said it: "She's too fast, isn't she?"

"You knew from the moment you met her," the brunette muttered. "You knew. I knew. There's some things I haven't lost. I've got instincts that I'm more in tune with, that I can understand why I get a little tremor of fear whenever either or you get too close or too angry. You always knew and that's why you can't let a damn thing go. You're not doing this because you hope you're wrong, Ash. You're doing this because you want to be right, because you want this damn test to prove that you two are a perfect match. First in personality and now in genetics. But I'll tell you this…"

He took a shaky breath in, finally looking Ash in the eye. "It comes at a price. Even though you're equal? It's not an equal ownership. You can't control her, Ash. It's going to frustrate you. She's going to slam you down every time you stand up, and you're going to do the same thing right back. When it comes down to it, you'll be happy. Hell, the two of you may be happier than any of us, but you'll never know what it's like to have a normal family."

"Us?" Ash retorted. "What us? You don't fit with _either._ You're a butchered version of the next step of evolution. You're broken. In two generations, _you'll _be the one getting stoned."

"And you're happy about that?" he snapped. "Sick bastard."

"I'm _not_…" Ash threw up his hands and shouted wordlessly, shaking his head before storming up to him. "Stop pushing my buttons! That's not how I feel, Gary! It's not at _all_. You've just been getting on my nerves so much and I don't know why you-"

Gary turned his head suddenly and pressed his lips to Ash's. Ash, unable to do a thing, stood there until Gary pulled away and sighed, "_That's _what Misty did. I think she's hot, but I don't like her. You're jealous. You think that she's in love with me and we both know you couldn't care less. For once in your fucking life, you beat me. You don't even know what to do yourself now that you've won! You got a _girl_, Ash, and you're not doing anything about it."

Ash glared. "Alright, Gary, I'm getting sick of this. Why don't you tell me when your grandfather-?"

"Admit it," he cut him off. "Admit that you're literally, for once in your life, _attracted _to a girl and you're scared out of your mind and don't know what to do. Admit to yourself that you're scared of what's going to happen if you do end up dating her, that you'll lose control and kill her or something because your mother has beat into your head since you were little that anytime you get a little too excited you're going to hurt someone. Let's face it, Ash, nothing gets a teenage boy more excited than the prospect of a naked girl under the sheets. It's our sexual peak. You've spent your whole life trying to fit into your mother's perfect plan and now that you're breaking free, actually being what you were born to be you don't have the slightest idea what's going to happen next!"

"I can't be like you, Gary. I don't want to be like you. And I…I don't think there's ever going to be more of us than there are of…regular people."

"There won't be," he said firmly. "You know it as well as I do, because they won't be chained up, they won't be enslaved because you're fucking terrifying. I was terrifying. They're going to cut you up like they did me, or they're going to kill you all off. I don't blame them. It's all or nothing."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. Do you have the-"

"Yes."

"And it's-"

"Yes." His voice was calm, smooth, emotionless. "She is. You knew she was. I read it. I shouldn't have, but I don't really care at this point. I've felt like crap lately, Ash, because I know what's going on. My only problem is, that with a prize like that in his midst, with the DNA tests they must have done, Giovanni had to know what she was. He _had _to know. With you there? Your DNA was _everywhere_, Ash. We don't blame you, you didn't have a choice, but they _knew _what you were. It's very close to normal people's, but not nearly close enough. He knows there are two of you right next to each other, and he let you slip away."

"Maybe no one thought it was important enough to bring it to him?" Ash suggested.

"You're taking the news of her being one of you pretty well, and yet you needed the test because you honestly didn't think she was. How funny. It seems like you were in some pretty furious denial, Ashy-boy." Gary leaned back in his chair. "What would be to his advantage to let you go? Preparing for when you come back? He could have just killed you there. By now he has to know where we are, if you were being tracked, but he hasn't attacked. What could he _possibly _be doing?"

"They just missed it."

Gary snorted. "Misty Yawa has _met _Giovanni. They were _face to face_. Ask _any _Rocket. Giovanni does not take special interest in anyone who doesn't deserve it. He _knew_, Ash Ketchum. He _fucking knew_ and he let her slide right out. There is a reason, some method behind his madness and it's annoying that I can't figure it out." He slammed his fist on the table. "Who lets two specimens like that slide through their fingers?"

"Specimens, them, us," Ash repeated quietly. "My mom's brainwashed us into never saying it."

"You're gonna have to say it at some point. What a great Christmas present that'll be."

Once more, the dark haired boy glared. This time, however, they each let it drop. Ash lingered for only a moment before he left for his house, and Gary soon went back up to his room. It was Christmas Eve. Granted, it was all a novelty, but he supposed it was pretty ironic that all the drama led up to this night, and probably the night after. It was going to be horrible breaking the news tomorrow night, but it wouldn't be hard. He'd take her aside and tell her. No complications. Simple.

**

* * *

**_Not so simple after all,_ he thought to himself. Seven hours of party time trying, and now he was alone in his bedroom, lights off, pretending he had gotten a little tipsy and silently urging his mother to banish him from the public. She had, lucky for him, and he was now wallowing in his lack of ability to march up to her and say those two words, one of them a contraction so, three words, technically. Sort of. He didn't really know. He just knew he was a dirty rotten coward who had to burn in hell.

And then, the horror of all horror, the door opened and light leaked in. For a moment, she was a shadow, the light outside being much brighter than the light in and giving her a warm glow. Then the door was closed, and she crossed the room to jump up on his bed, feet dangling and swinging on the edge. She wasn't normally one to beat around the bush, but she found herself puzzling over where to start.

"Ash," she finally said, and it did sound good. It sounded like she was starting the same way they did in romance novels, but it sort of twisted on the way down to her mouth, and instead of trying out some kind of love confession so they could begin the making out, she ended up blurting, "I can tell you've been wanting to say something all night, but you keep chickening out. That's why you're hiding, isn't it? You tricked your mom."

"I-"

"Screw it, I don't care," she gasped, grabbing at her shorts. "Listen, you keep pushing me away and we never get a chance alone, but I think I like you. Now that I'm off the pills I…I've got some pretty heavy lust for you. I need you. I really, honestly need to kiss you and I just need to touch you because I've gone from no emotion to…you're just making me repeat myself! This is all your damn fault! You make it all so complicated and I just want to make it simple. That's why…if you can't see it, Ash, I've got…got mistletoe on my head."

There were probably more articulate things to say than a squeaky, "on your head?" but with his heart pounding and thoughts racing with thoughts of exactly what she meant by lust, he couldn't really say much else. He wished he had left the light on. It was unnerving to not be able to see. He wasn't too sure how pitch black was romantic or sexy. He was terrified. And in his boxers. He was nearly naked, in the dark, with his crush, and he was very, very uncomfortable.

"And…if it's on my head then I'm under it, and since I'm better than you anyway, you're always under me, so you're under it too. So we're both under the mistletoe. Even if you don't want to, you have to, because it's tradition and it's even more powerful than hormones and chemicals. You've got to. You don't have a choice. But, I mean, if you don't-" she took a slow breath in and out "-I left the door unlocked. People could barge in at any moment."

"If you left it unlocked," he said slowly, pushing himself up. "I mean, we could kiss real quick. Nothing, y'know, too intimate or anything, but we could kiss real quick."

Her head tilted slightly, eyes adjusting to the dark, and, breathlessly, she leaned a bit forward, then stopped. She shouldn't have stopped. It had to be illogical to do so. She was only doing this because she was off the pill, because her emotions were hectic. He just happened to be the one she was closest to, the one she was friends with. Her attraction to him was solely based on his looks. It was those dark eyes, those broad shoulders, his muscular frame. She was instinctually attracted to how he would be able to kill creatures for her and defend her family. That's why she stopped, because she wanted him to take the initiative and prove how powerful he was. That's why…

"Misty," he murmured quietly.

His head tilted as well, and their lips met. His hand gently slid to her waist, and that was her final straw. That set her heart racing, set her trembling, made her sweat, merely because she was suddenly terrified. What if she wasn't good at this? What if he reconsidered? What if he didn't like her…and she was somehow falling for him. Not just the size of his hand that would be good for defense, but the way it barely touched her, the way it reminded her that he wasn't doing this out of the wild lust and need for control like Butch, but because, if nothing else they were friends. Very, very close friends, who only kissed because of mistletoe.

She pulled away slightly, licking her lips and smiling at the fact that, as corny as it may have been, he tasted like gingerbread. And, in as friendly a gesture she could manage she patted his cheek and cleared her throat. "That was nice, Ash. I hope we can do it again some time."

"Wasn't nice," he said quickly. "It…it wasn't good at all, Misty. It wasn't a real kiss. It was a mother kiss, a sister kiss! It was a family kiss. We should redo it."

She took a deep breath in and out. "And what would this…real kiss entail?"

"It would…" he swallowed thickly. "You would have to close the door, for it to be a real kiss. And there would probably be, uh, tongues involved. There would probably be a lot of touching too. So, you know, if you're not brave enough to handle something like that we could just head down to the party."

"You're trying to trick me into kissing you," she snorted, jumping off the bed and walking to the door. "I can't believe you would do something that stupid. Really, Ash, did you think that just because you said I'd be a coward if I didn't want to kiss you I'd suddenly run across the room and lock the door and jump into your waiting arms because I needed that little bit of competitive edge to inspire me to kiss you."

"I'm sorry," he sighed, realizing how often those words had been tumbling out. When, suddenly, he heard the familiar sound of the click of a bolt sliding into place. "You're locking the door? You…you're getting dressed or something because you said that you…what?"

"I couldn't believe you tried to trick me," she said, wandering back to the side of his bed, "because I can't believe you'd think you would have to trick me."

In a second she was straddling him, her breath suddenly becoming quicker. Her hands braced on his chest, pushing him slowly flat, then bending her arms so she came closer, closer still with her heart pounding. Perhaps she was too slow, or maybe Ash just wanted to be the one to start it once more, but he leaned up to catch her lips, head falling back a moment later when she gave a delighted moan and began to work her lips against his.

He held her, arms wrapping her up and rubbing her back gently. His tongue flicked out against her lips, and she smiled for just a moment before opening her mouth and encouraging him on, their tongues tangling in heated breath. Her hands wandered up, fingers hooking behind his ears and palms cupping his jaw bone. From here, Ash had a vague idea where to go, though Misty wasn't nearly as experienced. He decided that this was as far as they had to go anyway, on the off chance that somebody would pick the lock and they would be caught. He was perfectly content with the lack of roaming hands, after all, it wasn't as if he had gotten _too _much farther with May.

Her hands slid away, back to his chest again, and her lips fell to his neck. Deep, firm kisses on his neck that urged a moan when she gently bit. Not enough to bruise, but enough for him to roll his head to the side. She kept that up for a while, not a single time biting hard enough to bruise but kissing the side of his neck, the throat, before railing kisses back up and bringing their lips together once more. She tugged on him, and they rolled to their sides.

Her hands wrapped around his neck as the tongues started again. She moaned quietly hands sliding down to slide under his shirt, smoothing over the skin that twitched wherever she touched. He maneuvered his arms around hers so he could return the favor. Her skin was smooth, all except for the faint line of the abs he traced. One finger was sliding down the middle of the muscle, when he suddenly pulled away.

"Wait," he gasped, a little distracted by the hands that continued to dance around his torso. "What I needed to tell you! I just remembered!"

"Don't talk," she whispered against his mouth, giving him a gentle kiss. "Every time you talk, Ash, you screw it up. We're finally kissing and you're very, very good at it and you're going to screw it up." She was positively whining now, pushing forcefully against him. "Just shut up and kiss me, Ash. You can tell me whatever it is in the morning or when we unlock the door or whatever. Just…just stop talking. Stick with what you're good at."

He began to kiss her back, deciding that, whatever it was he needed to tell her could be put off for now. Instead, he toyed with her lower lip, nipping and tugging at it until she couldn't take the teasing anymore, twisting so she could kiss him fully again. She traced imaginary drawings on his test, with her right hand then her left, constantly switching, until, once more, he felt the need to return the favor.

As his hands began to dance around her stomach, he tried to figure out what exactly it was that she was missing. There was supposed to be something there, something completely normal that every person should have had. Something so daily and so normal he couldn't even remember the name. His entire hands swept across her stomach then, on their way up to but, much less flattened places, when exactly what was missing suddenly struck him.

He pulled away, all the way away, sitting up and breathing deeply. "Misty, I need to tell you this. Alright? We can't put it off. It's important."

She scowled. "Then fucking say it. Ruin a good thing, Ash, that's not like you at all. You _do _know there's appropriate times to do these things, don't you? You aren't supposed to give people breaking news while you're _kissing _them. But, oh no, not Ash Ketchum, he has to be different! He has to completely ruin any chance he ever has of getting any kind of action!"

He kissed her once more, gently, then whispered against her lips, "We're Eggborns."

She jerked away. "What?"

"That's what I was testing for, Misty. It was the final piece of the puzzle. You're the youngest Yawa and you're an Eggborn, the DNA is slightly different, giving you the ability to move faster than normal, giving me the ability to be stronger than normal, and before the professor changed it, Gary had the strongest defense stat you've ever seen. That's why they took you." He dropped his head. "If you want to run away to the Christmas party, now would probably be a good time."

She did. She had run from him and down to the party in no time, where he was sure she acted as happily as she could and no one would be the wiser. And him, in all his horrible turmoil of feelings, hid under his blanket and attempted not to cry, and definitely tried not to throw up. Life sucked. DNA sucked. And, of course, he sucked most of all. Not only had he ruined his own, but he'd ruined Misty's first Christmas.

**

* * *

**Nothing like realizing how big of a tomboy you are when you spend over twenty minutes trying to figure out fashion, before deciding to screw it and making half the stuff up. Basically, I went with art rules: complimentary colors really brighten each other up, blinding to some extent. Red and red generally is pretty boring (plus, I knew that rule from another story) and it's just too much red.

To tigon_ookami: I really appreciate your criticism, and, if you're still following the story, would you mind telling me in your review what other plot holes I've left unchecked? I want to make sure I'm going to fill them all in, and, if I'm not, that I can try to correct them. Once again, the criticism is wonderfully appreciated.


	18. Explanation

_**Explanation**_

It took her three days to finally come out of hiding. Not hiding to the point where people were nervous, though she did often startle Mrs. Ketchum when the woman would open a door to a closet, a bathroom, or the pantry and the girl would be curled up inside, bursting out like a nervous pokémon only to find somewhere else to curl up and hide. She would end up anywhere when she ran, under tables, behind sofas, and when she saw Ash she absolutely balked, like a horse at a fence to big she skidded to a stop not an inch from him before rapidly turning around and vanishing to yet another place before he could even ask her when she was running off to.

The day she finally came to talk to him, it was eleven fifty nine. By the time she was awake, it had been four days since they last spoke, the clock ticking over to twelve o' eight. She wasn't gentle, never was, and shook him awake roughly. He groaned and grunted, and she kept shaking him until he was sitting up in bed. She then dashed over to the light switch, flicking it back on before darting back over to him, chin resting on the top bunk bed with an eager, nervous expression, licking her lips while he struggled to adjust his eyes to the brightened room.

"You need to learn how to wake a guy up, Mist," he muttered, rubbing at the burning things. "Are you ready to talk to me?"

"Mmm-hmm," she agreed, nodding eagerly. She jumped up on his bed, crossing her legs beneath her as she sat on them while her hands tossed and turned over one another, the fingers grabbing and pulling at each other. She looked up at him, breathing deep, then dropped her gaze down to her hands. A moment later, a shaking hand undid her side ponytail, shook it loose, then redid it, all the while Ash watched, until she spoke once more: "I'm not convinced I'm an Eggborn, Ash. Couldn't there be some other flitch in my DNA? Those things aren't always perfect. It's a very delicate art, you need to really pay attention to detail. Professor Oak is old."

"Lift up your shirt," Ash mumbled sleepily, raising his own. He poked his navel, and, to Misty's astonishment, his finger didn't go inside, but bounced off. He dropped his shirt, and she followed suit, dropping hers. "I'm sure you never even bothered to notice, but _your _belly button? It's a tattoo, just like mine. That's what reminded me the other night when I was touching your stomach. It was completely smooth. See, you get that because of the umbilical cord. We came out of an egg, no umbilical cord."

"People are mammals," Misty argued carefully. "How can we come out of eggs?"

"Uh," he said slowly, scratching the back of his head. "Alright, so we had the big nuclear war, and those that were left were forced to move underground and no one's exactly sure how long. If they are, I can't remember the dates. So we came up and everything had changed a bit. Then we had the Sun Crisis, and we managed to rebirth our sun thankfully we got it right and we're not all dead. Unfortunately, during all that time creatures got screwed up, animals became pokémon and the few animals we saved are mostly domesticated with a few vermin that managed to hide with us. There were a few years that went completely off the map, they can't find any historical evidence, not even corpses. A huge chunk of our history is missing, Team Rocket didn't lie, and those are the years when the DNA started getting screwy. The theory is-"

"That's when Teams started showing up," she followed quickly. "That's when Eggborns started up. A number of theories popped out of that. Maybe there was gene splicing with pokémon, maybe we unlocked something in DNA that should have stayed locked, but because of the small amount of people whatever they did ended up in everyone. People were able to control parts of their DNA, parts of their body that they couldn't before. A lot of people today can turn off and on the feeling of cold and hot and pain. Some kids can turn on and off their hormones and puberty. Most people don't have allergic reactions because they can switch their immune systems on and off."

"Right." Ash nodded. "Exactly. Good history. It's for all those reasons that humans can come out of eggs, probably the whole splicing with pokémon thing."

"Alright, so let's say that somehow I just didn't have a belly button. Accidents happen with all this messed up junk. What else could you do to prove that I'm an Eggborn? I can talk to people. I know how to react. I'm a very human kind of girl, Ash. What I've heard about Eggborns is that they're…they're broken! And they aren't fast! They're strong! They could pick up a Snorlax and chuck it across an ocean! I'm not anything like that."

He held a sleepy finger to his lips. "Shoosh. I'm very tired and you're very loud."

"Sorry," she whispered, "but you dropped a pretty big bomb on me. I need a lot of information!"

"You talk to pokémon," he muttered, holding up his dozing pokémon. Pikachu kicked her legs in the air, and her head rolled to the side, but knowing it was Ash her subconscious refused to alert her conscious, and she stayed snoring. "There's a difference between sort of understanding and completely understanding. The reason we understand is the same reason we were thought to be so different. Eggborns generally talked sooner, but then lapsed into silence. Actions speak louder than words, you could say. Because we had the stronger pokémon side words were generally clarifiers. I mean, we still have the human in us, so we can learn how to interact the same way, to rely on talking, but if you and I were left alone for a couple months, away from people? We wouldn't talk at all. It would all be in a posture, our faces, grunts and things like that."

She paused. "Other people don't understand?"

"They get the gist of it. The age old classic: Timmy is stuck in a well. We'd get the entire message, because we would know the word for Timmy and well, but a normal person would understand there's some kind of trouble, and, if Timmy wasn't there, it probably involved Timmy. But, no, Misty, the others don't understand. We're not exactly sure how it works. The brain is a pretty complicated thing."

"Tell me more about this powers thing," Misty continued. "You said that you were strong and Gary was defensive and I was fast. I'm not any faster than anyone else!" She gave an indignant snort. "And, let's face it Ash, as much as you would like to brag you're not exactly the strongest guy in the world. I could take you in an arm wrestling contest."

He casually leaned over to a little round knob on his bed post, and with a flick of his wrist had ripped it off, bouncing it lightly in his hand. "I'm strong. Gary could have fallen off a cliff and walked off without a scratch. You, Misty, don't even notice, but when you run you practically blur. We have problems seeing you. That's your stat. We don't have special powers over water and fire and things like that, there aren't types. Humans, on a whole, are normal types. We can favor things though. Gary likes the deserts and heat. I like the forests and you, obviously, like water. We can learn so normal type attacks, easy things. Tackle, Focus Energy, Scary Face, and there's probably plenty more. We don't bother trying. We can probably learn plenty more if we tried."

She leaned forward, wrapped up in the idea. "Why haven't you tried?"

He chuckled. "I haven't exactly had anyone to train with, Misty. Gary isn't an Eggborn anymore, so I can't fight with him. If I can't fight, I can't get stronger. I can't level up. Any kind of attack is generally so mundane it could pass for human. When it comes to human styled pokémon like us? I could get beaten by a caterpie in the viridian forest. I can't train with any of my pokémon, because I'd be knocked out in no time at all. One hit KO."

"But you're so strong," she argued. "I mean, if you got a good hit on Pikachu-"

"Pikachu could zap me from a distance. The attack isn't worth anything if I can't land a hit. But I could train with you. You're the same as me. You don't battle with pokémon. We're on the same level and with practice we could be get a lot better, a lot stronger. You could probably get even quicker!"

"Could Gary even boost his defense?" Misty asked.

Ash pause. "Alright, I don't think you quite get it. Gary isn't quite…he's not like us anymore. Even though, once upon a time, he was definitely an Eggborn, he was born an Eggborn, he's different now. Professor Oak…Gary's parents were killed when he was very young, and that was when Gary moved in with the professor. You can guess that Oak wasn't exactly…alright at the time. He was tormented by the thoughts of his daughter, dead and her husband and even his granddaughter. Then he got his grandson and Gary wasn't talking. He would do things to test his powers, like I used to do, but whereas mine were temper tantrums, his were…deadly.

"They were near suicide attempts. He would pick up a knife and go after himself, but he could never break the skin. He threw himself off the top of the stairs. He chucked himself in the wall, shot himself in the leg. You have to remember, though, it wasn't because he was depressed or anything like it. He didn't even realize his family _was _dead. He never got to see the bodies. He was just testing to see what he could and couldn't do. The guns were the worst, mostly because it took a pretty big gun for it to break the skin. He tried to get the other pokémon to battle with him and, since the pokémon in Oak's labs are all pretty high leveled, he was knocked out in no time."

She snorted. "Couldn't he have gotten a TM and taken on a ghost type?"

"Don't joke about TMs," Ash muttered, shaking his head. "We haven't tried those, but Mew only knows how it would affect us. But Gary tried everything, unfortunately, normal types don't exactly type trump anything, so it all ended badly. He came back naked from the volcano. He was poisoned for three weeks coming out of the forest. He was trampled by tauros in the fields. Oh! He almost drowned in the lake. Then, later that year, he almost got hypothermia coming out of the indoor ocean ecosystem."

Misty tilted her head. "Indoor ocean ecosystem?"

"Where we put your pokémon, remember?" Ash prompted. Her face wrinkled. "Alright, so you said that all the other pokémon were fine, but gyarados really needed some exercise. We took him to the professor and…well, what'd you think he was doing with him?"

"Putting him in the outdoor lake like a normal person instead of owning an indoor ocean ecosystem?" Misty suggested. "Why did you leave that out on the tour? You said you showed me every single part of Oak's lab. We spent the night there exploring that whole place! You can't be seriously telling me that you actually skipped out and left out my precious baby that I rescued and risked my very life trying to get."

Ash grinned sheepishly. "Misty, I think it's about the time we move back onto the topic of Eggborns."

"Ash Ketchum," she snarled. "_Why _can't I see my pokémon?"

He smiled that infuriating smile, and she smacked his chest, leaving her hand there for just a little too long. Long enough for him to get a grab on it, to tug her to the bed and pin her easily. One had one either shoulder, kneeling by her left side so to be out of the reach of her thrashing feet. She struggled for only a moment, then stopped with a pout, recalling the bed post. It was infuriating, as it had been a very long time since she was last pinned and the babyfaced kid who has wandered into her home in the fall still didn't look as if he had the power to pull it off. She felt as if she was being pinned by a four year old, and impossibly strong four year old.

"I can't tell you why right now," he chuckled. "I know it sucks not to know, but give me a little while and when everything clears up I'll tell you _why_. I can tell you that it involves Team Rocket, and I can tell you that they didn't take him away. We will need you to come in and retrieve him later, because he's very, very angry that you're not with him." He frowned for a moment. "Which makes me wonder where the hell Pikachu and Meowth keep running off to. They better not be doing anything dirty. I will be so mad if I end up with an egg. I don't need a pichu."

"If it's a live birth there can be up to four," she taunted.

"Not funny," he shot back, leaning back to let her up. "But we have to go back to the topic of Eggborns. There's a lot you're going to need to know. When it comes to breeding, rumors say that since we've got the same number of chromosomes, and since our DNA is so close we can have children with people. We should be able to have a live birth but if we had another Eggborn…that's, uh, that's second generation." He gulped carefully. "That's some, uh, dangerous territory. That's a human with every last bit of pokémon power, with human actions and urges."

She smiled, something she had gotten used to in the past few weeks, months. Eyes were warm with a flicker of fear beneath, that smile curious instead of happy. "Are you nervous at the thought of a child that powerful, or at the thought of it being ours?"

"Both," he murmured. "The first is bad enough, and then knowing it could be our fault if we ever…but we won't. I don't want a kid, you don't want a kid and…you don't want a kid, right?" She shook her head, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Right, so, that's out of the question. No kids. If we ever do have sex we'll use a pill. And a condom. Four condoms so we're really, really safe. But we won't have sex for a long time anyway. That's just way too risky and it's fun, so there's no way in hell you would do it."

"Is that a challenge?" she asked, gently sliding off her suspenders with lowered, bedroom eyes.

"No!" he squeaked. "It's not a challenge! Keep your clothes on! Can we get back on the topic of Eggborns, please? We could talk about…about life expectancy! We've got no idea if our lives are shorter or longer, generally because we get killed off. We're guessing that we live the normal life, even longer because of the way we're healthy. Due to that healthy heart, it beats slower, and mammals have this certain number of heartbeats to have before they die. Humans are already tripled because of medications and health, but I'm sure we won't live much longer. One fifty tops, not a year over that, and even that's pushing it. We could die at twenty."

"Anything else you want to tell me?" She began to swing her legs over the side of the bed, eyes glazing as she stared up at the ceiling. "In a couple years are we going to go crazy, strip down to our clothes and run around like maniacs, killing whoever's in sight? In Team Rocket they told us pretty much the opposite of what you said. We live forever. We always stand out, like an autistic kid. Though, there's a cure for autism now. There's none for Eggborns."

"Eh," Ash said, wiggling his hand in the air. "We're back to Gary."

"And what did Oak do, exactly?"

"He…" Ash blew out of his mouth. "There's so many words, new breakthroughs, things he did on his own that I can't explain. It has to do with DNA, with switches in the brain and things like that. He managed to…to turn the Eggborn gene off, somehow. I can't explain it. It's like those genetic diseases that some people can hold and never get, even though they should. There are people who don't get these genetic diseases until they're in their fifties, and people who have them from the moment they're born. At some point these genes flip on and off, and no one quite understands it, 'cept maybe Oak. If he knows what he actually did…he burned the research. He's not talking. With something like that you could have an army of Eggborns, kill people using their own systems. All I know is he didn't something with Gary's DNA and turned off the Eggborn switch. Gary lost the symptoms of the Eggborn disease."

She shook her head. "It's not a disease."

"It's hard to say what a disease is these days. Even homosexuality is caused by testosterone imbalances in the womb and things like that so, technically, yes, that's a disease. All these little genetic quirks are mutations and flaws. You can't think of it that way, you shouldn't think of it that way but that's exactly what they are. It's unpleasant to think about, but even your red hair? Your temper when you lose it? Those are diseases, genetic imperfections."

She scowled. "_They're _imperfect. I know what's really going on. I was a Rocket for most of my life. I learned how things really go. You have to train people to grow right, like shrubs. You have to catch them young and show them what they're good at and grow there and keep them from doing things their bodies aren't meant to do. Humans don't get that. That's the problem with it, and that's why Team Rocket took over. Because people need to know there's a difference between wanting to do something and doing it because you have to."

"You mean like using pokémon Team Rocket gave you instead of kidnapping water types and pretty much proving your destiny as a gym leader?" he suggested lightly.

"No! That's different! See, I…I'm good with…they don't…" she stumbled through her words then looked down, licking her lips. "Alright, so maybe they've been wrong before, but no system is perfect. They've worked out the biggest bug, which is being driven by emotion. If you just clear your head and think like a rational person, life would be much better. In a few generations, with this DNA modifying stuff, we can probably turn off emotions all together and then everything would be perfect. No more wars or anger or hatred."

He crossed his arms. "And what about the fun stuff?"

"I can live without the fun stuff if it means living without the bad."

Her eyes rolled and she was about to turn and leave, half turned, one leg extended for the floor when her body froze, muscles locking in place. Ash was smiling a sneaky smile, face almost darker than usual, and she had a feeling she knew exactly where it was about to lead. The way he shifted his weight so it balanced on hands and feet, slightly crouched, eyes completely focused on hers. He was going to spring, but the look he gave had set her frozen to the spot, unable to do much more than twitch her fingers and speak, "You did something."

"Mean Look," he said, the darkness vanishing, but sneaky smile remaining. "In the wild, used to petrify prey before attacked. In battle, it prevents you from recalling your pokémon. As far as I can tell, we can only learn normal type moves. This one took forever to master. I had to hang out with a haunter _forever _before I got it. I'm pretty good at it by this point. It should wear off in a moment. I just wanted to see if it could work."

"You shouldn't manipulate people like that," she muttered.

"No," he shrugged. "But you know the second you figure out how to do it you'll be manipulating too. Besides, it's not like normal rules qualify. Healthy couples don't attempt to beat each other senseless, and shouldn't. Not in civilized society. They're a bunch of pansies that can't take a hit. We're the untamable, indestructible next steps in evolution. Dominated more by our emotions than live born people could ever imagine. We hate stronger, love deeper. That's probably why you didn't just kick Butch off and run. You killed him because of what you are, what we are. You know as well as I do that you don't feel the tiniest bit of guilt."

She shook her head, rolling her shoulders as her muscles loosened. "Anything I did feel has completely vanished by now."

"That's not normal," he said, coming closer. He was still in his crouch, predatorily sliding his hands and feet towards her, grinning every inch of the way. "And people don't normally go from a year of knowing each other to something equivalent of years upon years of chemistry, and it's only going to get stronger as time goes by. We might be the first human species that can be scientifically proven to mate for life."

"Very few species legitimately mate for life," she replied distantly, feeling herself feel normal as well. "There was only one, a species of fish because the male actually fused to the female, the anglerfish, and basically became a sperm producing organ."

His arm slid around her waist, unbearably slow in his motions. He turned her, this action fast as if he was losing control, but continued on his slow path, gently tipping her back as their breathing became shallow and quick. Hearts began to thunder, and, once turned, she gripped into the sheets to stop herself from wrapping her arms around his neck and yanking him down. Damn he was slow. How she was hating how slow he was, building the tension unbearably high.

"I'm in control of my emotions," she breathed. "I…I am. You can go ahead and kiss me but I'm not kissing back. All that stuff you said is crap, Ash. We don't love deeper than anyone else. We're still human, no matter how we came out. Team Rocket just got it wrong about Eggborns. I don't feel guilty about Butch because I was trained too. I was trained not too. It's not because I was so angry that I can't feel guilt, or because I enjoyed it or it felt good! It's because Team Rocket made it that way."

She gripped the sheets tighter. "For Arceus' sake! Will you _please _just speed it up?"

"Where's the fun in that?" he asked, grinning as she sighed with relief as her back hit the mattress. "Aren't you in control of your emotions?"

She glared at him, attempting still to keep her hands in the sheets and not anywhere they would rather be, like his hair or the chest that was hovering inches above hers. He slept in jeans and a tight black tee, she noticed, then damned the tight black t-shirt. She averted her gaze and glared at the alarm clock next to the bed, above her head in her horizontal position and close to the wall. Of course, that plan had a flaw: it had stretched her neck out, encouraging the dark haired boy to nuzzle in, kissing the base of her neck gently, teasing the flesh a bit with his teeth.

She bit back a moan and curled her toes, tightening her grip on the sheets once more to the point where they had to be white. She licked her lips and sighed, "my emotions may be in control, but I can't turn of my nerves, Ash. I won't lie that you're good at this, but I have control of myself. I refuse to kiss you back. I came here to learn about Eggborns, and I learned about Eggborns, and I'm sure if I brainstorm I can think of more questions. You're required to answer them."

"Alright," he said, pulling away to glance at her face. "Am I allowed to keep on making out? I'm enjoying this even if you aren't and I'd really like to keep going."

She grunted. "Sure. I don't care. But I don't see how much fun you could be having when I'm not participating."

His head dropped to her neck, not kissing at the moment but cuddling. "'Cuz when I do something right and you try to hide the fact you're moaning it makes my lips tingly. Plus I like kissing. It's fun. You've got soft skin and it's been a while since I've had someone to kiss. And I get to try and break you. It's like a game, and you _are _playing because if you weren't you'd tell me to get off or go away. So you just want to _say _you're in control of your emotions 'cuz you wanna kiss. That's fine with me. I like a challenge."

He went back to kissing and she went back to pouting. "No fair. I am _not _playing. I'm just proving that I'm in complete control of my emotions. A little necking in your bed isn't going to break my resolve. I'm a very strong woman and I will not break."

"You are a very strong woman," he agreed. "Now, let's make out."

"Go ahead," she growled. "I'm not participating."

He marched his lips up her neck, a peck with each step setting a rhythm, along her jaw until her gave her lips a quick peck, then let them fall back down, this time keeping them there. She responded eagerly only a moment later, pushing herself up to press their lips together more firmly, and a moment later the two were moaning at roaming fingers, getting so lost in the passion when they finally broke apart, Ash couldn't remember where his shirt had gone.

He laughed lightly, breath still heavy. "Who, uh, who took my shirt off?"

She sighed against him, hand on his chest with fingers spread, his arm draped around her shoulder. "I think I did. You're lucky I didn't go for your pants. But, once again, I'm in control of my emotions." She changed subject drastically, kissing his cheek lightly. "You have a nice body. I didn't think you would, since you tend not to exercise and eat a lot and things like that, but you have a very nice torso. I like it a lot. Don't put your shirt back on. There's no one in the house that would mind you walking around half naked."

"You eat a lot too, on days you do your little fast thing. We require extra calories for our extra abilities. It takes energy. I eat a lot everyday because of the muscles that burn a lot of calories. I'd eat even more if I actually put a lot of time into building them. That's pretty simple, more bulk and energy requires more food. Even I know that one."

"We age normal?" she inquired lightly.

"Yup."

"Huh. Can't really think of much else." She wiggled out of his grasp to sit up, redoing her messed hair and chewing her bottom lip. "I'll tell you what. Any questions I have you'll answer whenever I bring them up. That's your new job. You're the informant. Your new purpose is to answer any of my questions at any given moment. Because, Ash, I'm going to have to say it's all your fault, regardless of whether or not it actually is. It's always going to be your fault from this moment forward. I stub my toe, Ash's fault. We kiss and you, once again, end up saying something stupid to screw it up, your fault."

"There's nothing I can do to ruin it anymore," he laughed. "I'm pretty sure that's all the secrets I have."

She bounced off the bed with a "goodnight Ash" and went to the bottom bunk. He pestered her for a few moments about coming back up and resuming where they left off. She stubbornly stayed in her bottom bunk, snoring within the next five minutes while he stayed up quite a bit longer with hormones buzzing and a big smile on his face. This time he hadn't screwed up half so bad as he thought. She seemed almost eager to accept it, as if she already knew. Perhaps, somewhere deep down, she already did. He knew that he enjoyed the confirmation that he was better than those around him. Maybe that was the reason.

Or maybe she was starting to think that there were bigger things going on than them, he certainly did. There was some kind of sick turning in his stomach of some kind of impending doom. The name Giovanni a constant in his mind, popping up and giving him shivers. Somehow, the tension was building, and not just whatever sexual feelings between him and the redhead. Winter always was a nerve wrecking time, and spring was always such a wanted relief.

But the thought of spring sent him running to the bathroom, stomach heaving. There were so many warning words that set things off, nowadays: Spring, father, Eggborn, Team Rocket, Giovanni…there was a tie between father and Giovanni. Not his father, no, but something about fathers and Giovanni that was definitely worse than either of the two used separately. He just couldn't be sure of what.

**

* * *

**A few days later, and Ash was not pleased. His mother had invited Professor Oak and Gary to dinner and, after losing a battle with the brown haired boy not too long before, he was quite angry with bother of them. He had stabbed his pork chop so hard he had broken his plate, two times, in fact, and the second time he had managed to drive his knife into the wooden table. At his mother's glare he had muttered that he was trying to restrain himself and thought he was doing a very good job. After all, the knife had only scratched the table just enough to get stuck, not actually gone through it.

Meanwhile, Misty didn't seem to notice the stress of the situation. She had eaten the pork chop than moved onto several apples, loving each one more than the last. Mrs. Ketchum had stocked the house with fruit, though it never seemed to be enough. She would much rather subsist off a nearly vegetarian diet than eat the junk food like Ash did. She snacked rather than eating too much in one meal, like Ash, instead eating her much needed calories needed to get that extra burst of speed over the day.

"So," Mrs. Ketchum beamed, "how is everyone?"

"Guess what happened today?" Misty asked brightly, looking up from the green apple she clutched tightly in both hands.

The brunette chuckled. "Yes, we know. You finally came out of hiding today."

She shook her head no and ducked her head to take a bite out of the apple before it turned brown. She ran her teeth along all of the yellowish parts, turning browner by the second, until it was perfectly white again and resumed to the conversation. "No, that's not it. I did, but that's not it. See, Ash and I were…talking, arguing and things got a little passionate in our argument and Ash told me that I-"

The boy kicked her from across the table and she yelped, clutching her shin. Ash smiled and calmly said, "Hey, could somebody pass the gravy for these potatoes. They're absolutely wonderful, Mom! I couldn't enjoy these more if I tried!"

"Ash kicked me!" Misty protested, glaring at the boy across the table. "What'd ya kick me for? You're a real jerk, Ash Ketchum! I didn't say a single mean thing to you and you're kicking me under the table! Mrs. Ketchum, your son is an ass. As such, I demand we send him away from the table! Immediately. The notice has been posted, Ash darling, please forfeit your food into the center of the table and cry yourself to sleep in your sad little bed in your boxers which you can never fill."

"Don't attack the manhood," he moaned.

"Ash _darling_," Gary said, cutting each off. "When did you start calling him _that_?"

Ash raised an eyebrow at Misty. She was on her own this time. So the redhead blinked her innocent blue eyes and did what she had done so many times before: lied. She got the hang of it now, keeping herself blank and now, perhaps because of that Eggborn blood, she didn't have those tells, not a twitch in her voice when she said, "First off, it was just a joke. Second, I've called him Ash darling plenty of times before. Third, the thought of him and me getting together in any kind of way makes me nauseous."

"It didn't _used _to," he argued. "You told me plenty of times that you wanted to. I don't know when that stopped but it wasn't recent. Everyone's been keeping tabs on this. You two would be the most interesting couple around."

Misty's eyes narrowed. "And why is that?"

"They read the file," Ash muttered. "Told them not to but I'm sure they did anyway. That's nice, guys, I'm glad you listened to me. Hacking into someone's DNA and figuring out everything about them, you know, stuff that you could use to start psychological warfare is definitely the right things to do. I'd like to hear all about it so I can ruin Misty's life, because I skipped that part. I'm not a jackass." He ignored Misty's bitter mutter of 'debatable' and continued, "What kind of mutant babies did the computer say we had?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said the professor. "Delia, pass me the mashed potatoes."

"Don't, Mrs. Ketchum," Misty growled, and the hand that had been extending for the bowl pulled back slowly, quivering a bit. Misty's shoulders were tighter now, her back straight and chin up. "You know exactly what he's talking about, and lying makes it that much worse! You read my file and you know what I am and you know…well, let's face it, everyone was positive I was a Yawa from the moment I walked in the door but there was that small chance that I _wasn't _an Eggborn, like Ash."

Misty's eyes caught Delia, and her mouth dropped open. Had the woman just _flinched _at the word Eggborn? Misty's chest puffed out more than ever, and she could feel the hair on the back of her neck prickling. "What? You're _ashamed _of him? What's wrong with him being an Eggborn? He's a wonderful person! You love him! I know you do and yet you're cringing like it's some sort of curse. _Oh, honey, you're deformed but I love you anyway. _He's not _deformed_. Why are you pitying him? He can function just fine! He probably functions better than you, _lives _better than you. We love stronger, hate deeper, and maybe are just plain better at being human. Haven't you ever thought there's more to evolution than just the body? That maybe, just _maybe _in letting this happen, we're evolving our emotions too?"

"Being too emotional can be dangerous," Oak chided.

"So it can," she spat. "But being all that logical did us a fat lot of good. Maybe if everyone had those emotions, if you love deeper you wouldn't _have _that hate! It's a stretch, but we might as well try! What's the point of not trying when…when your only goal is taking down Team Rocket! You want to bring back the old days, but something must have been wrong with them, right? Something had to be, or else it wouldn't have been taken down. And…from what I've seen in history books, _your _history books, Team Rocket didn't have to try very hard to take the League down. The public barely fought. Their only complaint was the gyms taken down."

"So you're with Team Rocket then?" Gary muttered, subconsciously turning his head so the scar would face her.

"Don't be such a baby," she snapped. "I don't pity you. That's one of those emotions I _don't _have. I don't feel sorry for you. It sucks, I know, but you're not dead. You're _fine._ You're doing _well. _My point is that, no, the League didn't do it right but…from the stories I've read and the things I've learned, Team Rocket isn't on the right track either. You can't let people do whatever they want but you can't tie them up either. You can't choose what most people think is right, or what you think is right, but find some sort of compromise, so _everyone _is happy, not just some. When you have winners and losers you have problems. When there are groups there are problems. Separating Ash and I into another category…you're losing people to fight for your cause. You have to know what we are, accept it and move on."

"I've accepted-" Delia began stubbornly.

"Accepted what? Part of accepting isn't to flinch. Accepting isn't _ignoring_. Accept it and move on. If you really accepted your son you wouldn't care. You shouldn't care. In fact, be proud that he can do what he does. He can crush a rock with his fist. Gary could take bullets in the chest. With the practice I've been getting in, I can move so fast I _vanish_. Like a pokémon's Quick Attack! It's such a wonderful feeling, Mrs. Ketchum," Misty said, becoming short of breath at the thought of it. "And when I do that in the water, it's the most wonderful thing the world. I'm just so, so happy. It's better than anything else in the world.

"I don't know how you could take that from Gary, except I guess you've never really known how that feels," Misty said, voice getting quiet. "I don't like being an Eggborn, because Team Rocket's told me how wrong it is. The name still makes me sick, still makes me angry, but I love being who I am. I love this power, and even if it means bearing the title of Eggborn, one of the most disgusting things I ever thought to call someone, I couldn't give it up for all the money in all the world."

"Misty," said Samuel. "Would you…be willing to trick Team Rocket for this cause? To keep you alive and the way you are?"

She swallowed and took one deep breath in and out. Her eyes glanced at Ash, wondering if he knew what this was, if this wasn't going to be some kind of trap. Ash nodded, telling her it was alright, and she looked back at the middle aged man. "Sir, it depends on what you're asking of me. But, no, I can safely say I would like to have Team Rocket overthrown for the installment of a government that might…work."

He nodded once, and smiled. She liked that, that was a grandfatherly type of thing, but though that same light was in his eyes, he looked a little bit scared and intimidated. She knew the intimidation was from her, not the fear, but she suspected that would have to do with the request. "Misty, I'm sure by now you've bothered Ash several times about your Gyarados. He says you've pestered him about how it's doing for a very long time, and recently began annoying him wondering where it was. The reason we haven't told you is because Team Rocket knows it's registered and had intent to kill it. I imagine this is how you got this pokémon?"

"He. Gyarados is a he. All of them were about to be sent off to slaughter," Misty said boldly. "I don't regret saving them. They were too weak or uncontrollable, but with a little bit of time they all came out fine. Perfectly fine! They were better than a lot of Rocket pokémon anyway. You better not be planning to-"

"We're not planning on sending them back. However, the pokémon was registered as escaped. They say that if it's in possession of a trainer at our facilities, and they watch our facilities very closely, they would let it go. We haven't been able to get anyone very close to the creature, and we have a suspicion it's because he hasn't been around very many people, just those that abused him and you. He has it in his head that all humans, aside from you, are trying to hurt him, correct?"

"He's not a people person," she replied coolly.

"Alright, which is why we need you. You pose as his trainer-"

She stiffened again, "I _am _his trainer."

He sighed. "That's not what I meant. You will be a trainer at our facilities and tell them you are the owner of Gyarados. They'll ask you to give a few commands, try to ask him to make them weak so they don't get too excited and take him away, and that should be the end of it. If you be very calm, remember that you're a trainer at the facilities and not captured, you were born in Cerulean and had a very happy, happy life, I'm sure you'll do fine."

She snorted. "Won't the be suspicious about the random trainer popping up in the system, conveniently right before they were trying to take the pokémon she's defending?"

"You've been in the system since about a week after you got here. It's almost spring, Misty. You've been in the system all winter."

All was quiet for a moment, and when Misty sat it was all around accepted that she would do it, if only to keep her pokémon safe. Forks dug in and eventually clinked against empty plates. A few brief conversations were held, and in no time everyone was chuckling (except Misty, who still hadn't gotten over her inability to laugh) over a few jokes and enjoying themselves. That is, until Gary, fed up with everything snapped, "It was in your voice. When you said Ash darling you meant it."

Misty rubbed an apple slowly on her shirt with a sigh. "It was a joke, Gary. There can't be any other explanation."

**

* * *

**Well, sorry it was so short, but this was the logical cut off. It took a while because I had to double check Mr. Documentary-That-I-Recorded-On-My-TiVo to make sure I wasn't blurting complete crap, and it made at least a tiny bit of sense. And it does. Genes do have switches that you can turn on and off and all that. And, it's logical to assume that since your brain can control virtually every part of your body, and the ninety percent of it that isn't used could, in fact, turn switches on and off in your DNA.

To Tigon-ookami: Sorry to reply in such a public way, but I don't know any other way to contact you. I understand, I can't expect you to remember everything, but covering the big stuff is very helpful. When I said Ash was likable, it's a relative term. Such as, I say a hamburger is tasty. Many people would agree that said hamburger is tasty, most people would, but some people don't like hamburgers. There are always exceptions to the rule. And, if you had no taste buds as those people had no emotion, you couldn't enjoy the hamburger/Ash. Not everyone was off drugs. Jessie and James were the only two students off it, Paul was probably on the weaker brand (like Ash, for there were different levels/colors which I mentioned), and Butch and Cassidy weren't (well, Cassidy _isn't_) students. They're higher ups, and since they've proved their loyalty to Team Rocket, gotten through the school, they wouldn't have to take pills, since having no emotion could hinder your performance as a leader.

The other kids can't exactly "belittle" Ash for having emotions, because they simply wouldn't care. They wouldn't _notice._ Like the scene with Misty and James fighting at the beginning. The other kids didn't jump in or participate, just blankly stared. There's also a secondary reason behind this, and I'll be sure to mention that right at the end. The whole southern-boy accent being noticeable? That will be explained too.

The reason they wouldn't consider the Rebellion vulnerable for taking Misty in, whereas Ash was making Team Rocket vulnerable is because, like I said in Ash's thoughts way back at the beginning, if she didn't like the Rebellion, if she continued to try to run away with information, they would shoot her. On top of that, they aren't exactly sharing their plan of attack with her, whereas Ash was being trained and taught exactly as Rockets are.

Also, I didn't say Pallet was checked by the Rocket's, merely Oak's lab. If Oak made some sort of discovery, they would want to know about it so they could take it and use it for their own forces. We'll have to assume that the freely speaking Pallet folk have enough intelligence not to talk about the Rebellion with those in Rocket uniform. Misty's pokémon _will _come back (coincidentally, this chapter was when it had already been planned for!). Telling me was very good, never think anything is too early or else I can't correct it in the future! Thanks so much for your compliments, and I'm glad you're so interested in my story!


	19. Question

_**Questions**_

She was no stranger to lying, but she found herself steadying her breathing and slowing her heart. Gyarados helped, happy to see her, she was currently pinned fast by his head, and she rubbed his middle spike with her palm.

She was supposed to be Katherine, the happy go lucky trainer who just needed a water/flying type to round off her team. Despite her protest (and a very angry Ash) her hair had been dyed to a smooth black, and dark brown contacts placed in her eyes. A disguise, of course. It didn't make her ugly, but it made her blend. She didn't like blending. She didn't know if she could pull off happy go lucky, but it was the only scrap DNA they had, and the one they had entered into the system. She just had to stick on that smile she had copied from Ash, and use the voice she had copied from May and Dawn while she was hiding behind the couch.

She liked the bathing suit, and she liked that she had been allowed to swim for the past three hours. The back of her neck rested on her clingy, salt smelling hair, which rested on the warm, sandy beach. She held her hand up to the light, the other still petting her pokémon's head. There had to be something more to that Eggborn thing, because her fingers weren't pruney. That wasn't logical. There had to be something preventing that. But then again, there was something other worldly about pokémon in general. Maybe this just came with the territory of being one. Though her fingers had often gotten pruney in the pool waters, so that couldn't be it. Perhaps there was something special about Oak's waters.

(_So, finally settled that water lust?_) Glaceon purred, nuzzling the baby eevee that had crawled close, obviously ignoring the shriek and yelp from the former redhead beside her. Gyarados, primal pokémon as he was, gave a frightened roar and pulled away, diving under the water for the moment. She continued, voice unwavering and calm: (_And you had a child. It seems that many of the issues we spoke of last have been solved. So, tell me, is Ash really that good of a kisser? May said he was frightening. I'd like a second opinion, and an explanation as to how a kiss can be frightening unless it's rape. Frighteningly bad, perhaps? More of an 'oh, Mew, what if he doesn't stop and thinks he's good at this' feeling._)

She opened eyes that had fluttered closed with fear, and gasped, "Don't _ever _scare me like that again, or I'll get Ash to rip your head off with his freakishly strong muscles."

(_You're an Eggborn_,) she said merrily, laying down and scooping the shiny eevee close. (_I'm so glad we can finally talk about this. Don't you find it amusing that talking about it is the cornerstone? Goodness, how could you never notice that no one else talks to pokémon? You'd have to be an idiot not to notice, not that you're an idiot, dear, you're just a special case. However, the fact that you're raising this little one so strong is a tribute to your genius, since you haven't been raised in pokeculture yourself. She seems adapted enough, but you'll want to be sure she spends plenty of time with other eevees and eeveelutions._)

(_My name 'Oko,_) Aoko said merrily, sitting and swishing her tail as she smiled up at the evolved form before her. (_Mommy take good care me. Mommy feed me tasty food that make me strong, like other baby cuz I born tiny, extra tiny. My mommy special. She walk on two leg, and she look human but she talk pokémon. I special too. I pretty color. You a pretty color. You special too? You special too!_) The first was a question, the second was filled with excitement.

(_I may be special, little one,_) she crooned, (_but not quite like you and your mother. See, you're a shiny. It's not that you're a different color from other pokémon, you're different from other eevees. You're beautiful, just like a little princess. Now, your mommy's name is Misty, and she's with a man named Ash. I'm going to talk to her about Daddy Ash to see if she'll be honest and tell me how badly she wants to have hot sex with him. I think she will be. She seems to be very giving about these little details when it comes to me._)

"I'm not intoxicated by water this time," she argued, covering her face with her hands. "I'm thinking rationally now. I'm not going to tell you all about my love life just because you ask. I didn't have a baby with Ash, that's just _my _baby, not _our _baby. I'm very glad it's my baby too. So, I've gotten my own clothes and I have a baby and I _did _just regain the trust of my pokémon, though you made me scare him off and he probably won't come back for a really, really long time now."

(_Ew,_) she said, wrinkling her face up. (_Why would you care anyway? Primals are different. I'm not really a big fan of them._)

"That sounds out of character," Misty sad, sitting up slowly and gazing at the far off horizon. She wasn't sure how far the tank went, but with a projection screen at the other end, thousands, maybe millions of little screens in the far wall each flashing a pixel of light to make the far wall the scene of a never ending ocean under a never ending sunset. She was only told it was big enough to hold a wailord, just one wailord, but that alone was very impressive. She wasn't sure if the bird noises were natural, though she was sure the pokémon noises mixed in were real.

(_It is,_) she sighed. (_I think the primals are rather sweet. So, Misty, come on! Tell Auntie Glacie all about the passionate sex you two had._)

"Why do you want to know?" the girl asked hotly. "You know, it's pretty creepy that you, a pokémon, would like to know about a human's love life. And don't pull that Eggborn junk with me! It's weird enough that you're after any kind of story about others having sex. We're not that close, not you and me to be having this conversation and not Ash and me to be doing that. So, no, pervert. We haven't have sex. But, we _have _kissed and it was very pleasant. I don't want to talk about that with you, freaky pervert. Just know that it was pleasant. Very pleasant." She grinned a bit. "I don't know what May's talking about."

(_He's not terrifying?_) she inquired lightly, giving an affectionate lick to Aoko's head. (_He's not…dominating? May seemed genuinely scared. Not that he would rape her, I suppose, but that he had the strength to do so. Power can be quite terrifying. Granted, I know you have your own special power, but he's very strong. He's stronger than most, and that's at a low level. He doesn't know moves and he doesn't have high health, but he's strong. He could kill you, you know._)

"He wouldn't," she argued quietly, shaking her head. "When I first met him, if I knew this, I wouldn't be hanging around with him. But I've been with him for months. We spent so much time together. It wasn't just a lust thing, or some corny true love at first sight. We know each other. We were friends first and now…now we're something more. We'll play fight, but we'll never hurt each other, not on purpose. He'll never rape me. That's not Ash. He wouldn't do it anymore than I would do it to him. When he kisses, he's powerful but…" She shrugged. "It's not the strength or the passion behind it, but that he's gentle. He cares. That's what makes it wonderful."

(_That's incredibly sweet,_) she said brightly. (_I didn't think a cynical thing like you could come up with that._)

"I told you I got rid of my water lust." She glared between the wide cleavage of her breasts to the ocean beyond. The waves, in a typical ocean form, receded and crashed on the beach, the slow, gentle rhythm matching each breath she took. "You know, this is a lot better than love, this water lust thing. Don't get me wrong, Ash is great, and love is great, but some things are better than kissing. Bet it's better than sex too. I can live without sex. Can't live without the ocean though. It's beautiful. I wonder if Ash feels that way about fighting. I talked to him about it, and he was talking about how much he loved fighting. Battle lust. You feel the same way about ice?"

(_I enjoy sex more than ice,_) Glaceon said carefully. (_But, I haven't been as humanized as you. I still fall back on my basic instincts when all else fails, and instinct tends to be eat, sleep and sex. Basic instincts rarely fail me. But, unless you run off and live with the pokémon, you can't quite do that. You live with humans, so you have to act like a human. Major bummer. Humans tend to complicate things that could be much simpler. They even complicate all these lusts by dragging themselves and other from what they really want. Can you explain that to me? If you love someone, why wouldn't you just tell them? If you're a stupid girl who loses her boyfriend because she wouldn't outright admit that they were together, why wouldn't you just tell them you loved them?_)

"May broke up with Drew," Misty inferred. "I don't know May very well. It's probably better that I don't. She didn't like me from the start. Haven't even met her. Sure she's plenty nice, though. She might get over it. Dawn was jump for the first few days, then she got used to me. Bet May would be the same. I can't blame her though, she's got a little brother to protect. When you have something to protect, you have to be suspicious and careful.

"That's probably why that happened with Drew. She's afraid to commit, afraid it won't work out, afraid of limiting herself. The problem is, humans have built up this ideal imagine that they can't achieve, that no one can. Then they get freaked out because their relationship isn't perfect." Misty paused. "This is off of TV shows and what I've seen, really, it's not too much of real life experience. The ideal is never fighting, great kissing, great sex, beautiful people…and, though beauty is relative, all the other stuff comes with practice. Except never fighting. You'll always fight, but it's getting over it that makes the couple work."

(_You know a lot for someone who isn't all human,_) the Glaceon argued.

"Well, I've spent a lot of-"

"Katherine Smith?" came the clear voice behind her.

She sat up and turned quickly, heart racing at the thought of being caught conversing with a pokemon, dragged back to Team Rocket and slaughtered under the penalty of killing Butch, after she finally had so much to live for. But, no, there was an Asian looking boy in her doorway, Japanese from the looks of it, with features gaunt from overexercise and undernourishment. His eyes were perfectly clear, no sign of pills and most likely a higher up. He had to be a higher up, if he wasn't taking his pills. That made her more nervous than anything else, that he was clear and focused and Team Rocket cared enough to send someone that clear and focused.

Nevertheless, she let the surprise roll away and drowned herself in a sunny personality. She beamed up at him under darkened bangs, jumped to her feet and held out her hand. "You're Alvin, right? It's funny. With the sudden flare of ethnicism you would figure your name would be more Japanese."

He laughed lightly. "Well, my name was changed long ago. Third day of school. Wasn't Team Rocket, weird enough, it was my mom. She had it legally changed, I guess to make it easier." His face mellowed quickly, a one eighty in a millisecond, and he took a seat on the beach, motioning for her to do the same. The quick change left her uncomfortable, and a little guilty as she wondered if this was how she made Ash feel, made the others feel when she did things like that. If she made them feel like she wanted to level them with a bullet.

"Let's get started," she prompted enthusiastically, drumming her fingers on the sand. Aoko scrambled to her, jumping up and curling in her lap with a soft, loving sound, nuzzling her hand gently. Automatically, she began to pet the tiny creature, heart rate beating with the time of her hand. "I hope you don't mind if I ramble. I'm a little nervous, you know? Afraid that I'll say I'm a pound too heavy and get carted off to some kind of prison for breaking some law. I peed and weighed myself before I got her. You probably didn't need to know that, but I just can't help it! I get so nervous and…and I'm already rambling! I'm so sorry! You'll forgive me, won't you? You don't think I'm a crazy, right?"

"No," he chuckled, shaking his head. The sound was dry, forced. If he was acting, he wasn't very good at it. "Calm down. We don't think there's anything going on here. It's just a mandatory check to, well, check. These are all about your pokémon, not about how many times you've attended a religious ceremony. I'm just a Rocket member, not an agent of Arceus. Just take a deep breath, the questions are easy, the first one is basic: What pokémon? Gyarados, obviously. The next is the type, which I have. Shiny, no. I've got all the data from Professor Oak, I just need to make sure it's yours." He clicked his pen. "How long have you had it?"

"Him," she corrected with a wider grin. "He's a him. And I haven't had him all too long. The professor brought him in because he was ripping up the countryside, Oceanside, more like. There's a beach, next to one of the other farm towns, heads into the South East Ocean. I think that's where they found him, I _think_." Her face winkled and she stared just beyond his shoulder, as if trying to find answers that she already knew. "It definitely wasn't the South West, I would have remembered that because I was on that coast when I got the call. It could have been the South, but it's probably the South East. Anyway, I think that was…four weeks ago? Yeah, about four weeks ago. That was when I moved in with the Ketchums. Had to be."

"You moved in with the Ketchums? Ash and Delia?" he asked lightly. "Good people, nice family, very close with Oak. You'll go far if you stick by them, sweetheart. With references from them you could skip the school altogether and be a high ranking official in no time. Have to be careful with what you sign up for. Don't want to check the wrong box and end up interviewing little girls. That's what happened to me. Right above the field position box. Always double check."

Aoko gave a little mewling sound, and Misty cuddled the thing as close as she could to her lap. In no time, the little creature had become independent. Two days of bottle feeding and cuddling nonstop, something she enjoyed, turned into the little creature only racing over to thrash her tail at her and complain. This sound was a strong (_he's lying, mama_), and she could only blame herself for teaching the little one how to pick up on it. She looked down and smiled, then back to the boy, hoping the baby would get it. She gave another strong protest, but her mother's unchanging hand gave her no reaction, and she let the subject drop.

"Yup, I moved in with them a little before that, when winter first started," Misty said, wondering if she was supposed to tell the truth here. They hadn't gone over questions from her personal life, and she certainly couldn't decide not to answer them. With the quick changes in mood he showed, she might try to kill her for all she knew. When all else failed, the truth was the thing that made the best lie, so Katherine's story began to blend with her own. "And I met Professor Oak a few times. I was good with pokémon and…the reason he told me was…I know I shouldn't say it, but I prefer water types."

He chuckled as he jotted down a few notes, and she noted but the quick movement of the pen that he was doing so in bullet form, with dashes at the beginning of each note. "Don't worry, I won't tell. These things happen. Nothing wrong with preferring if you don't have the bloodlines, and you certainly don't. You've answered a couple of my other questions, but you haven't answered the first one. How long has it been since you first acquired the pokémon?"

Misty urged a blush to her cheeks, a little bothered by the feeling of heat radiating off her cheeks. "Oh right, right…I'm so bad with timelines and…see, I first met him two weeks ago, but it started really rough. He didn't like me, I wasn't sure if I was going to like him. I should've known I would have liked him, I always do. It wasn't until a few days back that he's finally really warmed up to me, let's me pet him and things like that. He hasn't really been mine 'til today, though legally, I got him about the week before last. Is that what you're after?"

"Is he a primal?" he asked, not bothering to look up this time.

"Yeah." She nodded, turning Aoko over in her lap to pet her belly. "Like most, he's a primal. Have you ever met a gyarados that wasn't? He's completely primal, no regret or prayer when he preys on others. He's an intelligent primal, like an intelligent animal. The professor said he had never seen a primal that could fins its way out of an ultraball. He didn't just do it once, on accident. He did it several times. He's getting the mechanism. Wonderful hunter too, even if he shouldn't be hunting in the first place. He separates a creature and corners it, uses bubble nets to heard fish like whales. Uses voice attacks, the vibrations stuns or kills the fish and then he gobbles them up. He hasn't found a mate, but he's been looking. We've had several pokémon, psychic too, try to communicate with him. It didn't work." She frowned a bit, genuinely, as this bit was true, and stared at her hands. "He hasn't regressed through trauma. He's primal. He doesn't talk."

"Not every pokémon can." There should have been a caring tone in the sentiment, but there wasn't one, just an icy, calculating voice. No caring eyes, but factual ones that glared at the paper. Clear of pills, but trained out of caring. She would rather have had him on the pills. "Does he know attacks, as a primal, or can he use-?"

"Flamethrower, if you're curious," Misty said swiftly, mentally scolding herself for getting so nervous over nothing. "Hydro Pump, Hyper Beam, Dragonbreath. Plenty of powerful attacks, but he doesn't use them unless direction. Left on his own he might as well not have them. We haven't introduced him to another gyarados, but you never know. It might spark an attack."

"Diet?"

"Mostly fish and other prey, we're still transferring him onto pokechow and pokeblocks and poffins and he's making the transition really well. He _has_ munched on a few seals, and seels, a few other pokémon. It wasn't anything particularly hard to kill, so it's not as if he's taking joy in fighting and murdering, he's just hungry and this is the first way he thinks of to get it. They were all first stage, low level, he was reprimanded and hasn't done it since I first met him."

He said, much too eagerly for her taste, "You _have _had an influence on him, from the moment you met?"

"You could say that, but there's no proof." She smiled, cuddling Aoko to her. "Unlike this little one here. He stopped eating pokémon after his first week, so says Professor Oak.; I've gotten close to him now, and I know that he listens by this point. He's a one woman pokémon, likes to cuddle, but he's actually okay with Ash. Gary too. If I introduce a person right he'll warm right up to them." She laughed, a high pitched sound she stole from Daisy. "I guess he's not really one woman after all, just picky."

"What level?" And he was back to his smooth, quiet voice that terrified her so.

"Seventy two, my strongest," she caught herself wanting to blurt that he was fifty when she first found him. That wouldn't fit with the story. Twenty two levels in four weeks? Impossible, not even with help from Team Rocket. She was happy-go-lucky, her pokémon weren't found on level thirty and they were not only so strong because of time spent training, nor the harmful drugs pumped into their systems. They were wild, purely wild, never touched a drug a day in their life. Her mouth fell opened for a moment, then she swallowed, trying again. "Level seventy two. We haven't been training much now, but if you believe he's powerful enough, we'll put restricters on him."

"No." He shook his head. "Strong as you want, hell, we'll appreciate you raising him up for us, but eighty five is the level we'll steal him for testing, determine if he should be given back. If he's got enough potential for us, we'll keep him, if not, you can have him. We're mostly interested in breeding purposes, but if he's a good enough battler without the good bloodlines we'll use him anyway. No higher than one hundred, though, that will get you into some big trouble."

"That's been illegal since the war," Misty argued. "It was illegal before it, until the system got messed up and they had that level explosion. Nobody does that anymore, not even rebels. It's dangerous! You can end up killing pokémon and people, end up having self-destructs as powerful as nuclear bombs. Hydropumps that can cut through diamond! People are smart enough not to to do that. Nobody does that!"

He snorted, pen flying across the paper, as if recording every word of her horrified denial. "You obviously have never heard about Giovanni. Pokémon combinations, morphs, half breeds, selective breed of humans, creation of life, clones pokémon with no restrictions. Giovanni does it, and takes pride in it. The pokémon grow stronger every moment. His 1-100 level scale is phenomenally different from the every day."

She felt her breath catch in her throat. _Giovanni_, the one that gave her her favorite hair tie, who smoothed her hair with a smile, who held her close when she needed him to. The man who, she always knew, faked every gesture of kindness he gave to not only her, but several other children. The children who had, one by one, vanished. They had fought, she recalled, whoever won got a lollipop. Whoever lost was…want sent home. She wasn't so sure about that. She was quite sure it was a lie, something she had known even then. When eyes met his, they were glazed. He never look, not glaring at people like they were people or pokémon or pokémon as pokémon, but as a prize. The eyes were gazing into the future, always the future, always thinking about what would happen, getting there just an absent throught. He focused beyond, yet could battle or deal a blow that was more powerful than most. With the region under his thumb, she didn't know what he could still be reaching for.

"Do you enjoy it here?" he said, though she wasn't sure how long he had been zoning out, the man was talking as if she hadn't hesitated at all.

"Yes," she gushed, leaving Misty behind and letting Katherine take over again. "It's _wonderful_. I've never gotten to work with so many different pokémon before! Every species, every type, every level. I learn so much here, more than I could ever learn in a book. You wanted field work, you understand how much better the real thing is over pencil and paper. I don't even know why people like that stuff. Personally, I could never get into reading."

"Is the professor good to you?"

"He's a very good man."

"To the pokémon?"

"Just as well as he treats his grandson," she said, a little more comfortable with the orderly way they were going about it now.

"His employees?"

"Uh, he treats them fine and they treat me and the pokémon fine."

"Any hints of the Rebellion?"

She fought off the urge to show her surprise, shoulders staying loose and eyes relaxed. "A few people are keen on it, if you ask around town, and nobody is completely okay with Team Rocket, but it's about the same as any other city. What place doesn't complain about their government? I would think that Gary is likely to join, because he's still pretty sore about his last run-in, but other than that I wouldn't say anyone is too suspicious."

"And have you been informed about the past accidents in Oak's lab? Has he tried to conceal them from you?"

"I never actually bothered asking," she said with a casual shrug, heart rate jumping a little and hand beginning to use a different rhythm on eevee's fur. The baby noticed, kicking her legs lightly at the new sensation before settling, head lolling back over her mother's leg. "These questions aren't really about Gyarados, isn't that what you came for? I thought this was supposed to be whether or not it's alright for him to stay here."

He nodded. "Yes, but we also needed an interview with you. Since I was already heading out, I picked up a form for you as well as your pokémon. We want to make sure that you're happy and healthy. That involves questions like…" he flipped over the page and put his pen down. "Are you sexually active?"

"No."

"Are you considering becoming sexually active?"

"Not at the moment."

"Do you have a partner and, if so, homosexual or heterosexual?"

"I do not have a partner, but I believe that I'm heterosexual."

He rambled on with more standard questions: age, weight, menstruation, muscle mass, exercise routine, her diet. She answered them smoothly, glad that these were easy facts she could easily quote, until he reached the end of his sheet and read: "By law, you're required to know that one Zoey, last name confidential, was murdered in a flamethrower accident and one Anabel, last name confidential, was murdered in a psychic type attack. Perhaps murdered is the wrong word. She was made to commit suicide by an Alakazam, held her breath until she died. Both of these were during Team Rocket visits." His dark eyes met hers. "You understand what I'm telling you, don't you, Misty?"

The girl launched to her feet, stumbling back like her own name burned her ears. Gyarados came up behind her, not roaring, but laying protectively behind her on the sand. She raced to him, holding him close while the Team Rocket member stepped forward with a sigh, his boots making a strange sound in the sand. "Yes, Misty, we know you're here. There's cameras all over that school. Did you really think we wouldn't see you run away? Some boy comes in, sweeps you off your feet, and takes you to some hick town." He grinned. "Got sick of taking those pills, I'm sure. I'm not here to take you home, Giovanni doesn't want that and, no, I can't tell you why. He didn't say why. I can tell you that we're not planning on killing you, and we _could _have stopped you from leaving at any moment. We _know _where the Rebellion is, that little son of shit has led us right to it! You're only here because Giovanni wants you to be! He wants something from you, just you, and you have until the end of spring to make it happen. It's something that only you can make, and you can only make it here. If you haven't done it by the end of the spring, they'll come in and get it done by force."

She glared. "Oh really? Why don't you make me?"

He snorted. Then, he snarled, his lips pulled back from his teeth as he walked close, inches away from her, "I'm a thousand times more powerful than you, I could kill you now if I wanted, with my bare hands, but I'm _nothing _compared to what Giovanni could and would send to kill you. There are psychics that could kill you with their _mind_. I'm just the little messenger boy, here to explain and then go on my way. Compared to what he has, I'm nothing."

"Nothing," Misty repeated, a light hint of surprise tossed into her voice.

He grinned, his breath faintly smelling of peppers. "Nothing."

"Dispensable?" she continued, hardly able to fight off the grin at his cocky attitude.

"Dispensable," he agreed.

"You heard the man," the girl said to her pokémon. "He's dispensable, so dispense of him."

His mouth dropped open, but he was glued to the spot as the sea dragon reared up with a mighty roar, his own mouth wide open to reveal fangs, long enough to go through the front and come out the back of a person. Anger from being without his trainer unleashed, he dove down, biting the man around the ribs. They crunched loudly, blood flying and splattering amongst the trees, somehow avoiding Misty and the baby she carried, and his head tilted back, sliding the still dripping corpse down his throat.

"Thanks sweetie," Misty crooned, petting his torso.

He gave a happy roar in return.

**

* * *

**She tugged her bathing suit on gently, a little annoyed at the way it stopped and clung to the water droplets on her skin. The sporty, deep red swimsuit was a little skintight, and she yanked at the bottom and top to make it a little more comfortable. She put her wet hair up (now dye free and bright orange once more) with a rubberband, side ponytail dangling limply. She gave herself one quick look in the mirror, making sure everything that she was supposed to cover was thoroughly covered, then strode out of the bathroom.

She didn't see Ash, and barely stifled a yelp when he suddenly appeared, pulling her close and resting his face in the crook of her neck. His arms wrapped around her waist, settling lightly on her hips and his hands clutched each other behind her back. She calmed herself, much like she had done before she was questioned. He rested against her while she rested against the wall, moving back and forth as her heaving chest pushed him. Her breathing slowed, then her heart, and she let her arms slide up to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. Then, they stood like that, breathing gently while the house creaked with warming weather.

"When you do that," she said quietly, "you're gonna have to warn me. You scared the crap out of me."

"I lost you before," he said quickly, beginning to rock with her a bit. "I lost you twice, once because of this place and another because we're Eggborns and I talked with Gary and…and the whole reason I can't do any of the stuff I want to do, and why I'm always the one that's pulling away is because I don't know what I'm doing. I've never had this much freedom before. My mom has always been telling me what to do, what to wear, how to act, how to speak, when to change my underwear, it's ridiculous. And now I have you. She knows I can't hurt you and…and she's letting me do whatever I want." She heard him swallow. "I've never had that."

She raised her hands higher still, stroking his hair softly. "You've got it now. I can't say I really know how you feel, Ash. I didn't have very many rules to follow. Nobody cared what I did. Rules were always optional. I could run away whenever I didn't like something but you had to stay, didn't you? That's sad. You never got the chance to be yourself. But you have it now, and you need to take advantage of that. I can help, but if I tell you what to do that kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think?"

There was a gentle kiss on her neck, the sudden feeling of it sending a hot jolt down her spine. It was her turn to swallow, eyes closing a little bit, back arching the slightest bit. The cool lips kissed again, a little firmer, a little more urgent, a little lower. A third, a fourth, down to the base of her neck, and her mouth opened to breathe in quick when he took the skin in his teeth, biting down quick before kissing the reddening spot. Her fingers had somehow twisted into his hair, vanishing under the black locks without her consent. Her eyes squeezed shut and, for a while, she let him go, with his fingers dancing across the bathing suit covered skin and his lips busying themselves at her neck.

"Wait," she gasped suddenly. "They didn't cover this in romance novels. I mean, not what to do after. How am I supposed to hide…these?"

He tugged away slightly, resting his forehead against hers. "Shoot," he said quietly, closing his eyes. "I can't believe I…and we don't want anyone to know we're…I just ruined it again. Shoot. I just wanted you here all day. I missed you. You came in this morning and you didn't look anything like you. You had your hair all covered up and they weren't your eyes. I couldn't do anything about it, but then you walked out of the shower and it was like you were finally home and you still smell like salt water. I mean, I wanted to kiss you but I tried to settle for just hugging you."

"I don't want to settle," she argued breathlessly. "What you were doing was great. Don't regret it. I just don't want everyone to know. The way they acted when we were an alleged couple. They're overly excited or concerned about the horrible kid or jealous and that's just _musing _on it. If it was an actual possibility I don't know how they'd act. But if that's the only way I could be with you, I don't care. It's not that big of a sacrifice."

He opened his eyes, the brown soft. "I made the choice to kiss you."

"It's not about making the choice," she said, pushing hair from his face. "It's about making the right choice, which is something neither of us know how to do. You had too many rules, I had none. Your emotions controlled you, and I haven't felt mine in years. We're not human. We have different lines to cross. I don't know what to do. I know what I want to do. I want to take off this bathing suit, get your out of your clothes and find out if sex is really all I'm hoping it's going to be, but I don't know if I should. I don't know if that is going to help or hurt us. I don't know if that is something Eggborns are age can and should be doing. We need to make our own choices. What's wrong and what's right, not just for the moment, but for the future."

He grinned. "We need to ignore what everyone else says. We've been together for a couple of weeks. It took months for me to get this far with any other girl."

She smiled in return. "I know what I want, and I know that if the top of my bathing suit is too tight, and if I need to slide it off until you can see my belly buttonless stomach, I'm going to need a big, strong man to help me."

"Is that right?" he whispered, curling his arms around her waist.

She arched her back a bit, bringing her closer to him. Her hands went from the sides of his face, down his neck, across his chest to his abs, where they rested and drummed lightly. She pressed herself forward, lips brushing his ear twice with the two words: "That's right."

She expected a kiss, was eager for one, but somehow it didn't happen. They held each other, and after a while she was hugging him back, just like they had before. There was the sound of Mrs. Ketchum coming in, though she seemed to know her boy was fine and didn't bother sending up a call today. Eyes closed, in a sort of daze they stayed there, then slowly pulled away, Misty pulling him into her room while he began to panic at the serious expression on her face. She sat him on his bed and backed up, breathing deeply.

"What happened today?" he demanded. "Something happened, didn't it? Did they find out?"

"They already knew," she replied, beginning to pace. Eevee followed at her heels, pacing behind her eagerly, looking up without so much as the slightest realization that her mother was worried. "He…Team Rocket knew. They saw us leave, Ash. They had cameras on it. They let us go. They were alright with it. They know I'm here and they want me to be. I have to do something here, they want something from me. It was something I could only get here and something only I could give them. I don't know why they're doing this. He doesn't know either. Well, he didn't know."

Ash put his head in his hands. "Oh, Arceus, please tell me that means he found out why and not what I think it means."

"Well," she said anxiously, shifting back and forth. "They say that the dead know everything, so it sort of means both." He began to moan. "No! Ash, it's okay! We had a conversation about how he's worth nothing to Giovanni. The guy won't even care. Giovanni probably doesn't even realize that he's dead! And, if he does, Giovanni doesn't care. So we're completely safe. Unless you're referring to how it's wrong, again, but haven't we covered that it doesn't really matter?"

He shook his head. "It does matter. It has to matter. People's lives have value, Mist. I mean, it's the same as killing an animal or a pokémon! You can't just go around killing people! It's completely irresponsible and, judging by what you said, pointless. If he didn't matter to Giovanni he shouldn't matter to you! You can't go around killing people. Well, yes, you have the ability but it comes with major risks! What if someone finds out? What do you think they'll say? What the hell did you do with the body?"

"Gyarados ate him," she said, trying to hide her smile unsuccessfully. "Poor baby was so hungry, and that man was so skinny it probably didn't fill him up at all."

Ash tried to glare, but his lips were twitching up of their own accord. He was trying his very best, she could tell, her grin growing as he kept trying to fight his off. It continued his hands coming up to cover his mouth and fight off the giggles, while she raced over and tried to pull his hand away. In no time, they were rolling on the floor again, Ash laughing like he often did and Misty, for the first time, collapsing into giggles with him. He wrestled her to the floor, easily, both laughing. There wasn't a space of awkward silence when they realized the position they were in, but the laughter continued nonetheless, smiling up at each other.

"You've never laughed before," he said. "It's pretty."

"I'm happy," she replied. "Ash Ketchum, if you don't stop laughing and kiss me right now, I swear that Gyarados is going to get a dessert tonight. We've been going at this since I got out of the shower. You can't just pin a girl and not do anything about it. You know, a normal guy would have had his pants off already and had me satisfied. I'm offering the top half of my body to you and all you can do is laugh."

"Wow, sounds like someone is pretty horny. Need some Ash lovin'?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You do realize at _any _given point I could walk away from you without a problem. I have a very strong off switch, and ticking me off is not the way to turn me on. You're not going to get any Misty lovin', not _ever _if you don't treat this pretty little girl beneath you like the goddess she is." Her voice dropped to a low purr, "Now kiss me, Ash, and let's get the second base of this love show on the road."

He pouted. "Only second base?"

"_Only_? What, you want to skip from tongues to sex? Dammit, Ash, for once I would _like _to take things slow."

He released her pinned wrists, sliding an arm behind her back and lifting her up. His lips met hers, soft and cool. She kissed back eagerly, eyes fluttering closed. In that one moment she knew, just _knew _that there was something big going on. There was more than a pokémon kind of lust (though that was certainly there) but something bigger. That undeniable love that only animals can display, coming back like a beaten puppy despite the wrongs. They were both that puppy, but she didn't mind it at all.

They were in love, about it there was no question.

**

* * *

**Yup…that ending _totally _wasn't cheesy. So, this was probably one of the most important foreshadowing chapters, and I apologize for it being short and taking more time to update. I'm really busy, what with my Alphabet Book to finish up, Canon Rape being updated daily, and constantly plagued with ideas for Dear Diary, not to mention planning on switching schools, doing terrible in the school I'm currently in, and trying to hide from my friends the last two facts, I'm surprised I got any time to update at all.

I swear to you I am not abandoning this story, and I'm following it through to the end.

-giggles- Plus, I know what I want to do for my next story! The idea is hidden in here, go ahead and guess. Extra credit if you find it!


	20. Competition

_**Competition**_

He was thrilled. He was going to _battle _Misty. She had gone off and learned a few attacks (apparently, she had even dared to leave May a note so she could borrow her skitty), and he had done so as well, cramming as best he could with all his pokémon and borrowing several from his friends. Before they had cockily announced to one another that each was better prepared, that each was stronger, faster, more skillful than the other. It was a debate that had been silenced with a swift kiss, cut off quickly and not allowed to linger for very long. People were eager to watch their first battle, and they were eager to get to it.

They fought at Oak's place, in a wide open meadow, trees and flowers and things surrounding them. The place was practically an arena, minus the lines. Ash, with his battle lust, had gotten up early and grabbed a lawn mower. With Bulbasaur using Razor Leaf and Vine Whip, him on the mower, they were done in no time at all. He got some practice in, just with himself, of course. He wasn't anywhere near his pokémon's levels, and any fight would have been a one hit KO against them. Instead he practiced the couple of attacks he knew.

He was practicing a charge up sort of attack, though he wasn't really sure was it was called, when she appeared beside him from nowhere. Grinning when he jumped. She took an eager step forward, saying, "The rest of them are coming down now, everyone. Delia, Brock, Tracey, Oak –the professor and Gary-, Drew, May, Max, Dawn and my sisters too." She took a breath that was just a little too excited for the moment. "My sisters too."

"I'm just glad you're here," he said, then laughed at how sappy it sounded. He shook his head, correcting himself: "I mean, I'm glad I get to fight you. I've been waiting for this since…since the first time we wrestled. I mean, I like that. I love fighting and battling and all that stuff. You're the first one willing to fight me like that."

Her smiled flickered. "Makes you wonder if…if we're only together because of…"

Voices carried down the hill. The laughing group was walking down, Max rolling faster and faster. Delia swung once picnic basket, Brock another, and May carried a third. Gary had a laptop slung under his arm, and Violet had a folder clutched to her chest. Apparently, today still wouldn't be a day off for cracking the code, for planning the perfect day to strike and shake Team Rocket to its core. Perhaps they'd pay attention, if the fight was brief enough, but odds were the laptop would be on in a moment, and Violet, even if the folder remained closed, would be gnawing the end of her pencil, and Lily and Daisy would surely have their eyes glazed over as they dreamed up ways to solve the problem.

For a moment, Ash couldn't breathe. He was hit with a sudden wave of guilt, and closed his eyes to quiet his gag reflex. _I did my part_, he thought. _I can't save him any other way. I did my part. I did what I could._ Misty's hand slid down his arm, slowly. She was comforting him. A glance told him she hadn't the slightest idea what he was worried about, confusion swirling in her eyes, but she knew he was upset. She knew he needed a bit of comfort, and a gentle punch on his shoulder let him know that she was eager to move on, and would rather him ignore whatever was bothering him to play with her for a while. He nodded and smiled, tugging her ponytail in return.

A moment later, he found himself deposited on the ground as she swept his feet out from under him, grinning and darting away. He sat up slightly, fixing his hat with one hand and glaring. She only laughed and spun around in retort. Arms thrown out wide, she began a loud singing chant of: "You can't catch me, slowpoke!" again and again. He brushed himself, jumped to his feet, and charged at her. She slid out of the way easily, body blurring like a hand shaken too fast. A poke on his opposite shoulder sent him spinning the wrong way, while she laughed and climbed into a tree, swinging her legs in the open air.

He grinned. "You can't hide in a tree, Misty."

"Sure I can! I'm doing it, aren't I?" She stuck her tongue out at him.

"It's not fighting," he argued, swinging his arm at the surrounding crowd. "They came for a battle, not a game of hide and seek. So get down here and use tackle and tail whip like a normal person. Pokemorph. Eggborn." His face wrinkled, and, instead, he jumped up and grabbed a foot. Her just-above-average strength allowed her to cling to the branch, though a tug dragged her down. She pouted and kicked him, racing away again to glare down of her reddening arms.

"You hurt me," she accused.

"That's the point!"

There was a tense in her muscles. Then, she slammed into him, almost seeming to vanish and appear a moment later, small hands forcing the air from his lungs. In return, he Scratched her, and she rolled away, holding a hand to a cheek that wasn't bleeding. Her face twisted, and she seemed to lose her temper, once again seeming to tense her muscles, vanish, slam into him and dart away, though he was proud that he managed to grab her ankle and trip her a bit.

Caught off guard by the hand, he Tackled her. His hand reared back, beginning to glow a bit, and he slammed it down, scowling when he discovered she had rolled away, and panicking when he discovered his Ice Punch had failed and he had frozen himself to the grass. In a less stressful situation, perhaps he would have remembered he could simply open his hand and break the ice, use a bit of superhuman strength to yank away, but he forgot and instead, he closed his eyes to brace for the impact, and sure enough it came. A hard Tackle attack hit his side and sent him rolling across the grass.

She stood proudly, cockily, but jumped when she saw him get to his feet. He lowered his head, beginning to charge, and, unthinkingly, she did the same. The two slammed into one another, heads hitting with a loud clunk, and the two fell onto the summer lawn, unconscious. The first Eggborn battle in Mew only knew how long, and the two had managed to knock one another unconscious, with no clear winner or loser.

Max scowled. "Well _that _was epic."

May playfully smacked her brother in the back of his head, and the meadow erupted into giggles.

**

* * *

**They fought consistently after that. It was addicting, a sweet rush of power when one defeated the other. On occasion, Misty won. On other occasions, Ash won. Though Misty did seem to have a slight advantage, if only because Ash was occasionally drawn away from his training to do things involved in the real world, the people world, where he was an agent and had certain responsibilities he needed to do. He made quicker progress, however, in the time he did have, keeping them about equal. Each did their own thing, learning different moves that they found appealing. Ash learned Strength, Misty learned Endure and so on.

The problem was, the problem that no one anticipated, was the theoretical levels. At some point, if they were leveling up (and judging by the slowly strengthening attacks, they certainly were) they would reach a certain point of evolution. Perhaps at level sixteen, eighteen, twenty five, thirty six, fifty, but at some point, evolution had to be reached. At least, Ash and Misty imagined it to be so, and giggled about it in his bedroom, wondering whether or not it would take them into puberty, evolve them into adulthood. The idea was amusing, entertaining, and almost exciting. Several times they mused on themselves becoming more attractive, stronger, faster, smarter.

It was somewhere, halfway through March, that it finally happened. The battle was the first major battle, one that everyone had been called in for. Misty and Ash had kept themselves apart for quite some time, training with their own pokémon and any they happened to come across, learning plenty of new attacks, hopefully making it more exciting than the last battle, which consisted of terribly executed tackle attacks and the ever embarrassing reminder of knocking their heads together and falling unconscious on the ground. This time would be better. They would actually fight this time. They would _really _battle, not scuffle, not embarrassingly attack like fresh hatched starters, but have a legitimate fight.

Though Ash would admit he did have different things on his mind. With the chaos building, the Sensational Sisters and Gary finally breaking the code, the days had been filled with note taking on Team Rocket, snatching their best plans and snickering at their failures. Day in and out, he ate, drank, breathed, pooped and slept with Giovanni's minions darting around his brain. Such things left no time for Misty, no time at all. Not when the girl walked around in her underwear, not when she ate sensually, not when her touches lingered much longer than they needed too, making his heart pound in his chest and his lungs ache with want.

So, finally alone in the grass, it came as no surprise when he slid his arms tight around her waist and pulled her close. His head fell to her neck and he breathed, muttering something silly about her smelling like a girl. She leaned into his hold, and they stayed like that for quite a while. It was nicer than kissing, sometimes, to just relax together. The war slipped away, the wonder of how far they would go together, if there would be sex, how fast such a relationship should go just fluttered into the background, leaving them sleepy with bliss.

It could only last for so long, and eventually they grew impatient and separated, ready for battle. It started out a bit like the last one. The dark haired boy lowered his head and charged forward, trying to land a powerful Tackle attack. She swung out of the way easily, gracefully, giggling as his momentum carried him much farther than he must have intended to go. Then, she retaliated with a Quick Attack, which did land, at a price.

"Watch out," he chuckled, hooking his foot with hers as she rushed off.

She tumbled down, her shoulder hitting the ground awkwardly and making her yelp. She barely managed to dodge the punch he sent down at her, an Ice Punch, at her right side. She rolled from a Fire Punch on her left. She managed to get on all fours, clumsily skidding away from a Thunderpunch and two Mach Punches. She finally managed to regain herself, and ran for cover, gasping for breath behind a tree.

"I thought we agreed on no hiding!" he chuckled, eyes scouring for where she could have run off too. He didn't trust his eyes with her much, not since she learned Double Team, and not since that Quick Attack had gotten so fast she couldn't be seen, not even from a good angle. He thought she had vanished somewhere to his right, and he knew she favored the right, but she could have gone in any direction.

"One hit," she said, voice coming from the left. "That's all it would have taken, and you know it Ash! Your stat is Attack, probably Special Attack too! You're using all these TM moves that I can't get and all you need is to hit me one stupid time and it's all over! It's no fair!" She appeared behind him with an Agility. "All you've gotta do is hit me one time, whereas I have to try again and again to get you down. Cheater."

He snorted. "To be fair, Mist, you're not exactly easy to hit."

Ash swerved, fist raised, and swung at empty space. It was always hard to tell whether she used a Substitute or had simply vanished that quick. She seemed to appear beside him this time, and he went at her with a Fury Swipes attack. Once, twice, thrice he missed, but the forth landed and sent her rolling on the ground again, if only for a moment. She sprung up with a Quick Attack, which landed beautifully, and a Scratch to his neck.

She did something stupid then, which was to give a very human kick. Ash had no problem catching the foot, grinning at her wide eyes. With a quick twist she found herself on the ground, a moment later found herself flying through the air then slamming to the ground. The wind was knocked out of her only for a moment, and she stared up at the clouds while she waited for it to come back to her, and he settled down about a foot away.

"Ha!" he proclaimed. "I win! Misty Yawa has been beaten. Though, I guess I sorta have been cheating. I've been eating a lot of Carbos, Protein, Calcium, all that stuff that gives your pokémon's stats a boost. I know I've been eating a lot, can't remember all the names. The professor says I seem to instinctively stay away from the defense stuff. He says it's because attack and defense are opposites, so I wouldn't go after it."

"Cheater," she retorted with her first breath. "Can't believe I lost."

She felt the spray bottle Super Potion pushed into her hand, and fingers prod her back into sitting up. She unscrewed it and drank, as it worked a lot better that way when there weren't any specific wounds to heal. It always made her gag, pull a face and lick the roof of her mouth like a pet that had just been given peanut butter. Ash always left, and took the bottle back from her extended hand. She lay back down and regained her breath, relishing the tingly feeling of the energy pouring back into her body.

"So, you ever used a TM?"

She grinned. "There's one. Maybe you'll get to see it later. I kept trying to learn it from a couple other pokémon, but it didn't work. I guess I'm not very good at it. That's what the TM is good for, stuff that you can't learn. It's not an excuse to not train any, Ash. That's cheating."

"Cheating, schmeating," he said, waving her away and bouncing to his feet. "Come on, I wanna get going again. That was a really good one, and we're gonna have a whole lot more. We had a bunch of training and we're in peak condition and we've got potions to let this go on all afternoon!"

He sent up a cheer, and, as the girl began to sit up, Tackled her lightly before prancing away. She found herself on her back, and pouted up at the sky. Quite loudly, unmoving, she began to sing a soft, slow melody. He dimly recognized it, something from a movie, but the world around him was fading fast. He didn't fall asleep, that much was for sure, but he might as well had been, lids half fallen and swaying where he stood.

She snatched a stick up from the ground, charging over and using her momentum to slash him with it, a Cut attack. Ash hadn't been the only one to cheat. Though it had been the only HM she'd managed to get her hands on, and Gary had advised her against the bulk of the others, since most of them wouldn't work. A Scratch attack came next to Ash's half drowsing body, though the harsh Bite on his shoulder was strong enough to wake him up, to make him shout and rip away, clutching at his upper arm.

Misty trotted back, light on her feet in case he was about to send another attack. He did, one that almost hit her. He ripped a tree from the ground using an HM move of his own, Strength, and flung the thing at her. One of the far reaching branches slit her bare waist, a small cut that leaked blood slowly, and she absently wiped it away, barely more than annoyed at the attack. It had hurt, but she was in tip top shape from the Super Potion, and he was still weak. She was standing tall, whereas he was slumped against yet another tree at the edge of their grassy arena, bent and panting.

"Uh oh," she chided with a giggle, skipping to his side. "Will a kiss make it better?"

She pecked his cheek. A kiss. A Sweet Kiss. The feeling of actually performing it, on a real person, was fascinating. There was the familiar tingling of her lips, the energy release into the skin, but then, a feeling as if she had gotten something in return, a jolt of energy through her system. So the peck lasted a bit more than a peck should, just a moment too long as she savored the flavor, his skin salty with sweat, but not long enough to be a kiss.

Ash was left confused, head pounding, unsure of where he was. He was angry about it too, his senses overwhelmed, the world twisting and turning about him. His feet pounded along the green sky, or so it seemed, he was walking fast, but stumbling along the grass. He flung himself into a large rock, and moaned and shook at the impact. It only made him angrier, and he shook his head as if that would make the pain or illusions go away.

He forced energy into his fist, that tight, contracting feeling was pushed to his right arm, down, down until it bunched in his fist and glowed. He swung at something, anything, only to discover it was the boulder, yet again. Though the blow wasn't so terrible this time, a bit of the energy went into the rock, cracking it slightly, though much of it went right back into his system, his arm feeling like fire as the world swam back into focus, so his feet were on the ground and what he had supposed to be green sky.

"And you call me bad?" he snorted. "What other tricks do you have up your sleeves?"

She grinned, conniving, cunning. "You can't even begin to imagine, Ketchum. Gary told me all about your TM hunt, and he wanted to help me out too. He likes me better than you, you know. That's why he's helping me instead of you."

"And you like him better than me, but I'm your only option," he joked.

She hesitated, because the joking tone lingered only in his voice. There was a slight downturn of his lips, his eyebrows knotting together. Nervously, not sure if he was going to fight her, she wandered close, putting a hand on his shoulder when he stood still. A moment later, certain he wasn't going to attack, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close, rubbing his back and smiling when he returned the favor.

"Ash," she crooned. "We're still…still human, Ash. If nothing else, I can at least be attracted to other guys, and I _have_. Not the way you have, but I know someone hot when I see them. I watch TV with your mom, and though I don't get into the conversation, I still have some sort of concept of who's hot and who isn't. But you're special to me. I love you, not someone else. You're not the hottest guy I've ever met, but you're sweet and nice and you understand me, and I love you for that."

"But I only understand you 'cuz-"

"There's plenty of people out there, and I'm sure lots would understand me just as well as you. But you're the one I found first. You're the one I fell in love with. Nobody knows how this love crap works anyway so…" She hugged him tighter. "Who cares if it's only because we're both Eggborns, or because we're soulmates, or just because you're the best friend I've ever had? I love you, and you love me, and that's that. Besides, you were in love with May before you were in love with me, so that proves-"

"I didn't." He shook his head and pulled away. "I didn't feel the same way with her as I did with you."

"That doesn't mean you didn't have a crush on her," Misty argued. "You just love me more, and that means at some point we're going to make hot sex somewhere the whole world can see us. Now, stop being all broody and play with me. Something exciting is happening today, Ash, I can practically feel it in my stomach. It's all tight and fluttery, and not because of your strong, rippling biceps."

She giggled as he swung another Mach Punch, this one at her head, ducking out of the way. She searched her mind, trying to remember exactly how to perform her next attack. He fell back to Fury Swipes, and she ducked side to side, feeling the pressure build up in her heart, racing faster and faster until everything seemed to freeze. She felt the light scent touch her nose, and she had to admit that it was quite sweet, almost making her dizzy. Ash was backing away, sneezing, shaking his head as the scent pounded through his system.

"Attract," she explained with a laugh. "Sweet, isn't it? You have no idea how hard it was to fend off Gary the first time I used it. He kept offering to carry me up to his room and wanting to hug me, so awkward. You know, he-"

But Ash would never find out how the sentence ended, because the Attract had worked much better than intended. Misty was yanked by her red suspenders, much rougher than he usually did, and slammed his lips onto hers. It had been a while since they'd done this, and the stress of the past couple weeks melted away. She kissed him back, pushing onto his lips with the same ferocity he had. Her arms wrapped around his neck, letting herself focus on fiddling at the hair on the back of his neck, not realizing how far Ash seemed to be gone until she felt the sudden release of tension that came from her suspenders being undone, and a second release as he unhooked her bra.

She jumped away, breathing hard, attempting to put her bra back on. "Ash! We can't-"

He kissed her again, tugging her arms away from her bra, backing her into the rock he had cracked not too long before. Her body curved with the hard surface of the boulder, certain bumpy parts jamming into her spine uncomfortably, waking her from the hormone induced trance she was falling into. She punched him with her free hand, catching his jaw and darting away. It seemed to wake him up, as he shook his head and looked with clear eyes about the clearing.

He saw her, and plowed forward for a powerful Body Slam attack, she did the same, and they collided, wrestling on the ground until Ash dared to try and kiss her again, lips brushing against her neck. She breathed in sharply, then brought her knee up to his crotch, slamming him as hard as she could. He fainted on top of her, and she pushed him off with a cocky grin, quickly wiped of as, suddenly, with a wide eyed gasp, Misty fell to her knees, then forward, head slamming into the dirt.

Neither was found for a good ten minutes, despite Misty's loud cries to help. Ash about half way in through her cries, though his body was still throbbing from several impacts and he found himself unable to move.

So, Ash, a bit battered and bruised, wasn't the first one there. Brock had gotten there first, Ash next on hands and knees, and the rest trailing behind. She was moaning, shaking, eyes tightly closed. Ash touched her shoulder, everyone holding their breath, when, suddenly, she began to glow. May and Delia sprang away, each pulling Max close, while the others learned forward with concern (and, in Oak's case, curiosity). The glow faded for a moment, then brightened once more, each time brighter than the last until the cycle evened, each light just bright enough to hide her inside it before fading once more.

"Misty," Brock asked, stroking her back. "What's wrong?"

"I dunno," she moaned.

"You got hurt?"

"No."

"Ate something you shouldn't have?"

"No."

"Some pokémon attacked you?"

"No."

"Evolution!" Oak exclaimed, gripping Brock's shoulder.

"That's the one," she groaned. "That explains a whole lot.

"She's evolving! She…she should be evolving. She's refusing to do so." His face scrunched up with confusion, and he shook his head. "What if there's something going wrong? Do you think she's alright?"

"It's bad," she moaned quietly, shaking. "It feels bad. I don't want to. I don't _want_ to. Ooh, someone make it stop." She gasped again as the light shined, rolling away. She curled into the fetal position, laying on her side, desperate eyes meeting his. "_Ash_. Make it stop. Please make it stop. You've got to have a way to make it stop. The professor…he must know! Oh, Mew, Mrs. Ketchum, Brock, somebody make it stop!"

Professor Oak's eyes widened, the middle aged man almost staggering back with a sudden realization. He ran to the briefcase, thrown against the fridge earlier in haste, and now pulled it out with such a rush he toppled over backwards, barely catching himself with his hand before racing back to her side. He opened the thing, sorting through papers and items of all shapes and sized until he found a syringe and thrust it into Brock's hands. Into his briefcase he went much more, sorting around until he found three vials, each filled with a grey liquid with a consistency of a milkshake. He gave a happy cry, shoving it into his companion's baffled faces.

"Everstones!" he shouted. "Don't you remember? The pokémon I was doing research on, everstones! Ground up, mixed up…it should stay in your system for a good month, until we find something more permanent. I don't know the side effects. It's only a test, and it may not even work. It's worth a shot though, isn't it? Anything to stop the pain."

"Side effects?" Ash yelped. "What kind…you can't test this on her!"

"Shut up, Ash," she snarled between ragged breath. "Professor Oak, is there any kind of point? Should I just do my best to stick it out until you get an actual stone for me to hold? I don't want to hurt myself if there's no point, but if you don't think I _will_ be able to stick it out, if we don't' have the time, if all your stupid stones have been ground up, I'm fine with it. I'll take the risk." She grit her teeth and spoke around them. "What are my best chances, Professor Oak?"

He shook his head. "We don't know. Nothing like this has ever happened-"

"That's a lie!" Ash cried, looking around the room. "You know it's a lie, all of you! Zoey and Anabel were two…we didn't realize, but they were somewhat, Eggbornish. They couldn't use their powers, fit in well but…they were really rough and tumble with their pokémon. We think…now we think, they leveled up. They evolved into something…something bad. Each time was during a Rocket battle, and we think this was because of the stress that came with it, that or pure coincidence that that was the moment to evolve." He sighed, closing his eyes. "You don't want to change?"

"They could have made them," she gasped. "They've got ways. They can force them. They know how. They can do it. Rockets. Plenty of pokémon fight off evolution all the time. Why can't I? It doesn't _hurt_, it's just very _hard_ not to change. It's like I'm running a marathon. I can hold it out, but if I have to evolve we might as well _try _the stone."

"We…you…" Gary started, stumbling over his words. "Eggborns aren't completely pokémon, not completely human. It's a transitional stage. We're not sure how it works. Team Rocket probably did influence their decision to change, they might not have been aware-"

"You know," Misty blurted. "You _know_. It's hard not to. I _want _to, but I don't. If I had something to protect…I'd be gone in a second. But, _Mew_, I don't want to be. I want to be who I am."

"They're not making you evolve," Ash soothed, stroking her hair as she moaned again, closing her eyes as sweat slipped into them. "Nobody is making you evolve, Misty. You can do whatever you want. If there's something bad on the other side, you can stay the way you are. Evolution changes things. It doesn't just change physically, but mentally. Look at Charizard. When I first got him as a Charmander, he really liked me. When he evolved, he just got mad at me. I couldn't understand him anymore. He wouldn't listen to me."

"You were weak," she snarled, closing her eyes again. "You _are _weak. There's so much power. Oh, _Mew_, Ash, you can't even imagine the amount of power there. The new form, my new form is stronger than you are now, faster than you could ever imagine. There's attacks…attacks only we can learn, attack special to humans, attacks we learn on our own without any help. It's amazing Ash, but there's no control there. It's primal there. We'd be gorgeous, but it's a dark place. We'd be monsters, beautiful monsters, but monsters. We wouldn't be able to talk anymore, not at all. Not even if we wanted to."

"I don't want to go back to what I was," she moaned, clutching his hand. "I finally got away from team Rocket. I defied them. I used my emotions and made mistakes and did stupid things and fell in love. I know the good and the bad to having my feelings, to being who I am and I don't want that ruined just because I want more power. I don't need to be strong. I don't need to be fast. I've figured out what happy is and I'm happy with who I am and I'm not going to let my stupid _body _screw it up."

Her back arched and she gave an angry scream. "I look like I'm giving _birth_. This is so much damn _work_!"

Throughout it all, the professor went through the motions of filling a syringe, tapping it gently and giving it the smallest possible squirt to make sure it worked. It did, and there was almost a gleam of the scientist he once was, that fiery curiosity shining out through aging eyes. He kneeled beside her, next to Ash, and rested a hand on her arm. Ash glared ever so slightly, though his eyes flashed back when she moaned again, clenching his hand tighter than he would have liked.

"It's going to hurt, Misty," the professor whispered.

"I don't care," she snarled. "We can shoot me up with something else after this, alright? I'd rather take the pain and not have to deal with this anymore."

"Not anymore, really, just for a-"

"Just do it!"

He did. The syringe plunged into her arm, deep under the skin, and the level of the liquid seeped away, seeming to make the vein bulge and pulse at the intrusion. Strangely enough, the screaming stopped. She was clutching his hand still, harder than before, and her entire body seemed tight with the stress. Still, her mouth remained open and she remained breathing, though everyone else in the room was holding their breath, leaning forward to see what would happen next.

Gary, surprisingly, was the first to speak. "She's shaking."

And indeed she was. Her entire body was shivering, as if she had a fever. Ash felt himself grow nauseous, like he always did when he was nervous. He closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see it, but her hand still trembled in his. He wouldn't pull away, couldn't do that to her. Instead, he focused himself completely on a spot on the sofa, a stain from a coke when he got too excited watching a battle on TV. He wrapped himself in the memory, shielded himself from the bad, eyes closed as he tried to ignore the bad feelings, the idea that she was probably still in pain, probably much worse pain than she had been in before.

"…adrenaline is…awake…Ash…for your safety?" Oak asked, placing a warm hand on his shoulder.

Ash wasn't quite sure what he was agreeing to, but he nodded to it anyway, sure that the old man knew what he was talking about. It didn't strike him what was happening until he felt the prick in his arm, the strange, hot sensation that flared up behind it. It was warm, at first, like a warm bed, then a hot bath, then a shower much too hot. And, faster and faster the heat increased, until, without the adrenaline and lightheaded as he already was, he fainted. The drug and the stress had ganged up on him, and he couldn't take the competition.

**

* * *

**First off, much to disappoint, Ash and Misty did not, in fact, consummate their love last chapter. I actually went through and fixed that, so I'd recommend reading the very end (there's, like, two extra lines of dialogue) if you really need to know.

I will admit that they _do _have sex at some point, next chapter in fact. Though I'm not willing to do a full out lemon (I've read enough that I totally could, but I'm trying to retain some childlike innocence) I'd like to alert you how far I'm planning to go. My limit is probably, oh, let's say naked, about to do it. The aftermath will also be discussed, but the actual…disgusting mess that is intercourse (God, I know it's fun and beautiful and crap but all our parts are so horrifically ugly and it's such a crude, grunting…ugh –shudders- I liked it more when I didn't know what actually happened) will not be described. Because it's icky.

Next, I greatly apologize. I made a super short chapter filled with horror, but I haven't had much time for the serious writing, I suck at battle scenes, and I rewrote this a million times trying to figure out what belongs and what doesn't. Thankfully, I only have three or four more chapters, tops, including the epilogue.

Thanks to EVAN AAML, I totally didn't create a plothole of death. I had forgotten that I had mentioned Zoey earlier, and worked with that. Thanks again!

I totally forgot to plug –is filled with endless shame- crystal elements' fanart for this story. Y'know, a few chapters back when Glaceon first appeared and talked about water lust? She did this AMAZING scene! Check it out, as well as her other stuff if you're into Avatar. Link below:  
http:

crystalelements.  
deviantart.  
Com  
/art/  
Misty-Water-Lust-108604323


	21. Made

Once again, just a warning, they have sex but I'm not describing it. I stop at second base…you know, I don't think I even go to second base in this.  
…And in real life I don't play baseball.

_**Made**_

The strangest scent hit his nose when he woke up. His eyes shut and he breathed deep, something good pouring into his lungs, so delicious he only breathed out so he could take another breath in. The warmth came a moment later, the same length as him, pressed close to his every curve. One of his arms had fallen around it, and he pulled it closer, breathing in again. It was very subtle, hardly there, and it agitated him to no end. He wanted more of it. He wished it was stronger, hoping that the extra strength would give him some satisfaction. It didn't seem to work, and he pushed his face into the tickling, good smelling substance.

And then she giggled, wriggling away and pinching his upper arm lightly. Her green eyes smiled up at him as she rolled out of his bed, putting her chin on his comforters. "What was that about, you dork? I've been waiting for the past three hours for you to wake up! It's midnight already. I woke up at nine, but I didn't know it was nine. I went to try and find people, but nobody was home and I'm pretty sure your mom's asleep and I didn't want to wake her up. I feel a lot more energized too. I think that the everstone thing gave me energy, that or leveling up really helps. Do you feel energetic? Because you didn't level up, so if you're energetic we'll know it was the everstone."

"I'm energetic." He grinned. Ash pushed himself up so he was sitting, then scooted forward so his legs hung over the side of the bed. She stood straighter, looking up at him, bouncing on the tips of her toes. "Probably not in the same way you are though."

He bent forward and kissed her, and she kissed back. She smiled widely against his lips, staying like that for a while. Until Ash's hands came up under her arms, pulling her up and holding her a few inches above the ground. He didn't seem to notice much, despite her shocked gasp and lack of response as his lips slid to her neck instead. Her legs kicked in the air a little bit, and she grabbed his wrists, squeezing them tight to remind him what he was doing. He paid no attention, switching to the other side of her neck. And, sighing and figuring he'd come to his senses, she dropped her head back and stared at the ceiling.

"Ash," she murmured. "I'm not participating. It's a little awkward for you to hold me above the floor like this."

"Hmm?" He pulled away, then laughed a bit, setting her back down on the floor next to him. "Sorry, I don't know what's up with me today. You've probably got some of that attract scent left over. You smell really good, makes me want to…" He blushed. "Uh, kiss you. It makes me really want to kiss you, and I lose my head a bit. I'll try not to be so…I'll try to not pick you up off the floor and not make out with you when you aren't kissing back because that's probably some form of rape, and I like you so I don't want to rape you. Not that I don't want to have sex with you. I mean, wait! I don't want…well, not like that, but I like you a lot so I mean, if you want to…even though that's not the only thing I'm after-"

"Calm down," she giggled, jumping up on the bed beside him. "Really, Ash, it's only sex."

"_Only_ sex! What do you mean _only _sex! It's sex! It's the thing everybody wants to do! That's all anyone ever thinks about! It's constantly in your head! Everything is just one giant innuendo! It's some kind of conspiracy!" He was throwing his arms around, talking like there were was some kind of conspiracy around them. "It's like my mom is always cooking sexy stuff for dinner. Chocolate strawberries! Who makes chocolate strawberries if they aren't going to have sex later? Nobody! Nobody, that's who! If you make chocolate strawberries you're planning on getting naked later!"

She laughed. "Oh, and it's everyone who thinks this way? Are you sure it's not just _you_?"

"What? You haven't noticed?"

That brought the flush to her cheeks. The laughter died instantly, and she stared into her lap, fiddling with her hands and clearing her throat loudly, as if the embarrassment could be coughed up. "Well, of course I have. Everyone has _some_. But I think about other stuff than just sex. It's different because I'm not taking those pills anymore, so I might have a little more than average, sort of a side effect after taking them for so long. Besides-" She turned a shade darker. "-I've got a guy to think about now. I haven't ever had one of those before. Plus, my guy is a big, strapping young Eggborn boy."

He grinned, sitting up straighter. "So you think I'm sexy?"

"I wouldn't stay with an ugly boy, would I?" She giggled, punching his shoulder playfully. "Don't you think a good looking girl with outrageous bloodlines like mine has standards? 'Rich girls don't marry poor boys,' as Daisy from _The Great Gatsby _says, not to be confused with Daisy Yawa. Though I guess we might have to make an exception this time. I mean, look at me! I'm gorgeous, young, graceful, smart, perfect in every way plus I'm sure we've got some money tucked away from our once-upon-a-time gym. Compared to you, I might as well be richer than Dawn and prettier than all my sisters put together."

He growled, "Oh yeah?" and she found herself squealing as he pinned her, the two wrestling playfully on the bed. She was only the slightest bit annoyed that Ash spent a lot of the time attempting to kiss her, and she had to keep smacking him to keep him away. She managed to keep herself from shouting when he groped her through her shirt, not that it did much help as she tossed him off of her, hitting the floor with a bang that made the house shake and had Mrs. Ketchum shouting at them from down the hallway.

"Sorry ma'am!" Misty chimed, dropping her gaze to glare at Ash. "Dammit, what the hell was that? I don't know what's been up with you tonight! You've never been this insistent before and I can't believe you just freaking _fondled _me. I thought we had a nice relationship. I thought you tested the waters before you just went and grabbed things that aren't yours? I know the stupid thing where all boys think about it sex _all the time_ and you're all out for nothing but sex, but you're not like this, Ash. It's like you've lost all the control you had just an hour ago!" She cocked her head to the side, noticing his shamed face. "What's going on, Ash?"

"I don't know." He moaned and dropped his head to his hands. "Misty, I'm so, so sorry! I can't help myself! It's like the stupid Attract attack you did earlier! You just…you're really pretty tonight and…Misty, all I can think about is having sex with you right now! I don't know why! It's never been this bad before! I've wanted to for a really long time but now it's suddenly all that matters and I don't know why. I mean, puberty doesn't hit in just five minutes, right? I really like you. I really…I really love you and I've wanted to for a really long time, but I'm supposed to wait until I get married."

Her face wrinkled, her head cocking to the side. "Why? That doesn't make any sense."

"Yeah it does. You're supposed to because you're only supposed to have sex with one person."

"Why?"

"Because it shows that they're special."

"But kissing someone means they're special, and you've kissed people. Does that make them less special?"

"Yeah, because having sex is even more special."

"Why?"

"Because it feels better."

"Only if you're good at it. It still doesn't make sense. You can have lots of special people you want to have sex with. Pokémon do. Pokémon barely ever have one special partner, but lots of them. Doesn't mean that pokémon love any less. And we're pokémon, technically, because we're Eggborns. Plus, what if we live three hundred years or something? What if I get bored after the first two hundred? I'm pretty sure people aren't supposed to live that long, so, you know, there might be different rules involved. Like having sex before we're married. Besides, it seems like a pretty big commitment, dedicating your life forever and ever to one person."

"It is."

She grinned, standing up on his bed. "Besides, with the state you're in you probably won't hold out until you're married at all."

"Will too!" he argued. And the second the words were out of his mouth, his yelped. Both hands slammed over the open thing, and he shut his eyes tight, shaking his head. The last thing he needed was her tempting him, when every movement was twisted into some provocative action in his hormone addled mind. And it was those hormones that pried his eyes open, though he had hoped desperately that they would stay closed.

Slowly, probably mimicking some girl she saw on the television, she swung her hips to an imaginary rhythm, taking out her rubberband and shaking her head. Her suspenders came next. Two soft thuds as each one hit the bed. She forget how to breathe, then, her chest so tight she was sure she had to be holding her breath. In the dim light from the full moon she could see his pupils dilate, to the point where the had swallowed up the brown. Next came the shirt, not nearly so much in the rhythm anymore, a needful, careless act as she dropped it to the floor. Her hips stopped swaying soon after that, and she slipped her arms out of her bra straps, turning it around so her trembling fingers could unsnap the bra and fling that to the far side of the room.

He tackled her, the two rolling until she had him pinned. Their lips collided, the two slamming together with moans and gasps. She bit his bottom lip gently, then kissed him long and slow, shaking as his hands traveled up her sides. Her found her breasts and she stopped the kiss, gasping, dropping her lips to his neck and gripping his hands. Something was different this time, something that set every nerve on fire, that left her and him panting in the stale air that suddenly seemed a hundred times hotter.

"Take your shirt off," she whispered breathlessly, kissing his neck softly. "Don't stop. Take it off."

He closed his eyes, toes curling in his shoes, breath ragged. "Misty, oh _Mew_, Misty, I want to. I want to but I can't. If I start doing this now there's no way I'm going to be able to stop. It can't happen like this. It's supposed to be special. We're supposed to be on our honeymoon in some beautiful island with rose petals on the bed and somebody playing the harp in the corner like those corny romantic movies my mom always watches. That's what people do! They don't just lose their virginities in some mundane place in the middle of the night!"

She laughed, twisting her head so she was eye to eye with him. "You spend _way _too much time with your mom. Normal people get caught up in the moment, get lost in the passion and they just…" Her eyes fluttered closed and she gently touched her lips to his. "You just start kissing, sweetie, and then it just gets hotter and hotter until you have to take all your clothes and start kissing absolutely everywhere-"

He kissed her again, hands gripping the breasts they had never left, and she moaned. She pulled away, only for a moment, and whispered, "If you don't want to go that far, I won't let you. We'll just kiss for a while, Ash. We'll just kiss until it gets light out or…or until your mom comes in and pulls us off. Or maybe until we go to sleep."

He pecked her lips. "I love you, Misty."

"I love you too, Ash." She felt herself growing breathless as she moved to the hem of his shirt, lifting it slowly. "And I _really _love doing this."

**(PAGEBREAK)**

(_Our trainers are in heat,_) Pikachu explained to the small crowd of pokémon.

Aoko blinked, putting one ear flat out to the side in her curiosity. (_If they're hot can't we just get them an ice cube?_)

(_Oh, no. It's not that kind of hot, sweetling. See, when you get older you have things called hormones. These hormones are what make you grow. In your case, you'll be bleeding every month. In a boy's case, certain things begin getting bigger. Now, those things that get bigger become very appealing to your during this hormonal time, which is a period we like to call puberty. It's during this time when you really want to have something called "sex". Now sex is plenty of fun, and it's how you make babies. Just like you bleed once a month, once a month you'll want to have sex even more than usual. When you want to have sex, you release a pretty smell that lets the boys know that you're ready to mate. Then _they _make more testosterone, which is their smell, and you want to have sex even more. And then you do, and it's very, very wonderful. And, if you're lucky, you get an egg._)

The little eevee beamed at Glaceon. (_'Kay._)

"Ash and Misty, right?" Meowth asked, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Huh. Makes you wonda though, doesn't it? See, the two should have been feelin' like dis once a month, if dey're both Eggborns, but dey never done sometin like dis before. So what's changed da two of dem so dey want to finally get it on wit one anoder? So maybe dey…well, maybe dey're bodies are finally ready to have babies. Maybe it's da girl's first time. Dat's da only way I could tink of dat da two would suddenly decide ta make a baby."

(_I'm glad Mama's been gettin' busy,_) Aoko chimed, bouncing to her feet and chasing her tail. (_I hope she does make an egg. She doesn't have me anymore, even though she thinks she does. Baby eevees grow up real fast. I'm all ready to strike out on my own! I can't wait until I get a trainer and I can go on adventures. Is the world as exciting as the movies make it out to be, Glace? Are there really all those big oceans and buildings and trees and mountains and are the battles really that exciting?_)

(_I don't know, little one. The world is wonderfully exciting, but I don't battle. I do contests._)

She sat and stared up at her, eyes wide. (_What are those?_)

(_They're battles that make you look pretty._)

Her little jaw dropped open, as if she had just been told the meaning of life, then she was off across the lawn, crying to the sky about how fun contests would be, and how excited she was to leave home soon and have a trainer and how the world was going to be such a beautiful place. She chased her tail, batted at flying insects, pounced on anything that moved, and when all was done she collapsed at Glaceon's feet, who debated with the others all the while about why the two Eggborns could possibly be going through heat now, and why they hadn't before.

And Misty, only in her underwear, bra and shorts, sat on the open windowsill, scolding herself for the couple of tears trickling down her face. Not because of the pokémon's curiosity, or how she seemed to be a test subject yet again. That didn't matter much anymore. But it did matter that her baby, her precious Aoko had grown up impossibly face, in only a couple of months, and was already anxious to leave her. Damn the nights she spent awake feeding her from a bottle. Damn her feelings of attachment to the crazy thing.

"Misty, you okay?"

She gave a weak sob, leaning into him as he hugged her close. "It's no fair, Ash. Nobody ever told me I'd have to let her go."

He shook his head slightly. "Who are you-?"

"She was never really mine to begin with," she sniffed. "She belonged to Glaceon anyway. She belonged to her own kind. I'm a gym leader, Ash. Even when all this finishes, I can't do what I want. I'm a gym leader. I can't travel the world, not with the way things are. I have to build the gym back up. I have to take care of my family, and there's no chance that me being an Eggborn wouldn't be noticed when I was on the road. Somebody would know, and then a team would get a hold of it and I'd be in more trouble than I knew what to do with. And…and if nothing changes for the longest time, I have to stay here and help out anyway."

She shoved him away, picking up her shirt and yanking it on. Back to the window then, she slammed it shut, away and down the hall, down the stairs, her feet stomping and temper raging, shrieking, "I don't care! Let her go! I'll make my own damn egg! And I won't have to let that one go because it'll be an Eggborn just like me. It won't be able to leave me and it wouldn't ever want to! And it can't fight in battles! It wouldn't be allowed! And it sure as hell wouldn't want to do those stupid contests!"

She dropped to her knees at the bottom off the stairs, screaming again: "May does the contests! Why can't she take you and I keep the baby? Why couldn't she just _keep you_?"

He drummed his fingers on the banister at the top of the stairs. "Because, as much as you want to, you can't control people, Misty. You can't make them do whatever you want them to do. I can't love May. She can't love me. You can't love contests. Aoko can't love battles. Aoko can't stay with you forever. Things can't go perfect, Misty, and let's face it: you can't even control yourself. Not to mention whatever's starting to happen to us. You could barely keep yourself from evolving, and I'm sure you were having only a _little _less trouble than I was keeping us from going all the way."

She slammed her fist into the tile. "It's not _fucking fair_!"

"No," he agreed. "It's not."

Step by step he walked down the stairs, gathering her up into his arms and rocking with her. "You wanna go to bed now, Misty?"

She choked on another sob, trying to stop the tears. "I wanna have sex."

He laughed.

**(PAGEBREAK)**

The wave that must have hit Ash just a few hours before slammed into the redhead at lunch time. And she turned to May for help. Although Misty had finally allowed herself to be seen by May, and the two had made eye contact many a time, the younger girl was certain they were not close enough for Misty to grip her wrist the way she did, so suddenly, so randomly. Ash had merely, with a sexy grin May had never once seen him do, skimmed a finger along her shoulder blades, her _clothed _shoulder blades, and the girl was shaking like a leaf. Her nails dug deep into May's wrist, and the girl squeaked, trying to yank the iron grip off.

"May, get my sister."

"But I…" May swallowed another cry as the nails dug deeper and Misty's breaths became shallow. "Which one?"

"_Any _one," Misty grunted, shaking her head. "I just need one of my sisters, oh Mew, May. May, I'm sorry that I've been mean to you and I really hope this won't come back to bite me in the ass, well, not this, but how I've kinda been avoiding you. But you have to understand that you made me feel like a freak and an object and I'm a jealous person and you used to be Ash's girlfriend and it's not something I can get over easily but you're a really nice person so I'm sure you'll be good enough to help me just this once, _please _just this once."

"Wanna take a breath?" She suggested, rubbing her shoulder. "Listen, do you have cramps or something? Feeling sick? I've got a bunch of stuff in my bag if you need any help."

She laughed, gripping her wrist tighter. "No. I don't need that. I'm not in any kind of pain at all, not that kind of pain. It's frustration, alright? There's something going on that has to do with me being an Eggborn and Ash being an Eggborn and if you don't get my sisters right now you're going to see something you _really _don't want to see. I want to see it though. Mew, that boy would look drop dead sexy naked. I can't believe I've never notice that before. I can't believe I've never cared before. I really care now. I'd like to make it up to him, ooh, I'd like to."

May shook her head. "Wait. Your emergency is you're…you're…?" The girl flushed. "You want-"

"Sex. I want to have sex with Ash. Screw him. Fuck him. Make love. Whatever you want to call it I want to do it. Any position, anytime, anywhere, I don't care. I just want to get naked. I'm horny. I wanna bump uglies. I want to do it. I want to have sex. I need it right now." She slammed her other hand on the counter. "I'm sorry if I'm hurting you May, but Ash asked me _not _to have sex with him, to stop him because he couldn't stop himself, and now I don't think I can stop myself so I need my sisters. They know all about sex. All of them have done it, and Daisy likes Tracey and she's not dating him so she must want to have sex with him all the time. I need to find out how they stop themselves."

She swallowed. "Well, uh, maybe you could just try to think of something else?"

"_Like?_"

"Unicorns."

"_Unicorns_?" Misty repeated.

"Yeah, you know. You can think about all that kind of stuff. Only you can stop yourself, Misty. I've been where you are. I know how you feel. It's a lot easier to resist temptation after you've done it the first time. I mean, the first time I was tempted with this boy named Brendan, and I really wanted to sleep with him. We were making out, and he was going to put his hand under my shirt but I stopped him, even though I really, really didn't want to. See, I knew it would be a mistake, so I didn't. He broke up with me, but I made the right decision."

"How _hot _would it be if I had sex with him on the table? Just pushed him down, ripped his clothes off and had sex with him on the table? I bet that'd be the hottest thing anyone's ever done. I bet it's hotter than the sun. I bet sex is the most fun thing in the entire world. You should have had sex with Brendan. You should have had sex with Ash. I know I want to." She shook her head and glared at May. "Didn't I tell you to get my sisters?"

"Can you be with him alone?" she shot back. "Misty, I don't think you can control yourself and I can't leave you alone. It's obvious that neither you or Ash really want to have sex, and it's probably some Eggborn problem, but I know you'll regret it if you do. I can't leave you alone to get your sisters. By the time I came back it'd be too late."

"It wouldn't be too late," Misty whispered, licking her lips. "No. We'd go way slow. It's take _hours _to finish. We'd do it for _hours_. We've got the stamina and the strength. We could do it. Damn, he's strong. He picked me up while we were kissing and he didn't even notice. He's that powerful. He'd be great as a mate. He'd keep me and the babies safe. No harm would ever come to us. I could run the babies to safety and he could fight off whatever was threatening us. And we'd have strong babies because he's strong, and they'd be fast like me. They'd be the best kids the world has ever seen. He's perfect."

"You don't want a baby."

"I want his baby." Misty grinned at May. "Wouldn't he be a great father? I'd be a great mom, but that doesn't even matter. Our babies would be so strong they wouldn't even need us around, only me until they stop breast feeding. They could level up faster too, since they'll have each other to play with. And then, since they take care of themselves so well, Ash and I could leave them alone and have more sex and make more babies."

"We're going to your sisters."

And they did. Misty seemed to have some kind of sanity left, and May was able to easily drag her away and take her to see her sisters. The three were sleeping, having pulled an all nighter working on getting data from the website. Tracey was there as well, a sketchbook dangling in his hand of layouts of the buildings, strategies to get in, scratched out and new ideas planned, little dots where guards were stationed. As they walked in the sketchbook hit the floor, and Tracey jumped, consequence waking up Daisy, who had been snoozing on him.

She leaned on him, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Oh, hey Misty. Nothing's going on here, promise. We wouldn't do any of that stuff. Tracey and I wouldn't want to have anyone watching, and I don't think Tracey would want to have a foursome. I wouldn't want to have a foursome with my sisters. I love them, but I don't love them like that." She blinked, shaking her head and looking at the redhead closely. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"Because I want to have sex," she proclaimed, standing up straighter. "I want to have lots and lots and lots of sex. And I want to do it with Ash, because we'd make great children. It's not just because he's an Eggborn like me, either, but I just think he's the most eligible because he's so strong. He could kill anything to protect me and the babies, you know, and our babies would be so strong they probably wouldn't even need protecting! Daisy, it's wonderful. You have to tell me how I can stop Ash from being so uptight about it. He doesn't want to have sex with me. He thinks we're supposed to wait for marriage."

"Well, that's always a nice concept." Daisy shook her head, scratching a spot just below her ear. "It generally doesn't work out, but sometimes it does. And it's sweet. You know, you promise your lives to one another and then you have great sex. I can't imagine it's all that great though. Neither one of you knows what you're doing. You're naked in front of one another for the first time. It's awkward. Nobody knows where anything is supposed to go or when you put it in and everything hurts. Nnn, I can't imagine what a disappointment that must be."

"So you think I should have sex?" Misty pressed, practically radiating sunshine from her pores. "You think Ash and I should have sex. You don't think we should have to wait until we get married because nobody does and it's silly. See, May? My sisters think it's silly! We should just run back there and tell Ash it's stupid and then Ash and I can have sex on the table, just like I wanted to before. And now that the air is cleared, Ash will be okay with it and we'll be really happy and everything will work out perfectly and we can practice sex lots and lots and lots and it'll be even better if we ever do get married!"

"I heard sex," Violet said sleepily, not moving from her spot on the couch.

"Probably because you're always doing something, whore," Lily retorted.

"Bitch."  
"Slut."  
"Skank."  
"Fatass."

"Hey!" Violet said defensively, sitting up and glaring at her sister. "Say what you want about my sex life, but I'm not fat. My ass is beautiful and directly proportionate to my body. You're just jealous because we all know that I got the best butt out of all of us. Daisy got the best face and Lily go the best boobs. I think Misty go the best overall body, just because she works out so much." Her eyes widened, and she clapped her hands. "Yay, look! Misty's here! Yay, Misty's here! Misty, what are you doing here? Listen, out of all of us, who do you think is the biggest whore?"

"I wanna be, because I want to have lots of sex with Ash. I want to whore myself out to him, I don't care be3cause I love him and I want to be with him forever and I want to have babies but he won't do it unless we're married It makes me feel really sad. I really want to have sex with him, more than anything else I've ever wanted. In fact, I can't think of anything else but sex. That's all that's in my mind, just sex, sex, sex. Hey! I finally get what Ash was saying last night after he was saying how good I smelled! He's started smelling really good too. I think that makes me want him even more. He smells sexy. I don't know how you can smell sexy, but he does."

"Smelling sexy…Daisy," Tracey said slowly. "I think your sister's in heat."

Lily leaned forward on her hand. "Fuck. It's like superpuberty. Blots out everything, like a solar eclipse, only the planet doesn't get in the way, sex does. I wouldn't mind that. Go out on the town, super horny, find another super horny guy and just go at it for a couple of weeks. That's how you cheer me up. You can't be sad after screwing for a couple of weeks, not if it's good screwing. I mean, that's a couple weeks of happiness. It's like a no-strings attached honeymoon." She pouted. "Why wasn't I an Eggborn?"

"I wanna have sex," Misty whined, crossing her arms over her chest and twisting on the spot. It was as if a five year old was asking for an ice cream cone, eyes wide with innocence, tone high and complaining. She was a horny five year old, which was wrong on more levels than could be counted. "I wanna do it a lot. I don't care if I have to marry him afterwards! I just really want to do it now and you can't tell me I'm not supposed to! That's just _mean_."

Daisy rubbed her temples, putting her head between her legs and breathing slowly. She dreamed for a moment, wondering what it would be like if she lived in a far away country, in an alternate universe where pokémon didn't exist and people had sex all the time, so often that it had practically become the past time of the planet. But she had to zone back into her world, with her sister almost a different species, horny, in heat, and sex and a baby could jeopardize the entire mission and send everything to hell.

"Listen, Misty," she sighed, "you don't have any idea what you want right now."

"I want to have sex with Ash! Can't get any clearer than that, Daisy!" The girl gripped her upper arms tight and curled up on the floor, beginning to rock. Slowly at first, then faster and faster, and whimpering as if she was in some sort of pain all the while. She looked up at them, eyes soaked with tears, and she screamed. "I can't take this! I can't take this stupid stuff anymore! I want to go to the ocean! I want to have sex! I want to get away from you stupid, stupid people and be with Ash because I don't understand you! I want to be with Team Rocket, even if they are bad people! They left me alone! They wouldn't say anything if I had sex because I'm nothing but a number to them! And barely even that!"

She stopped her rocking to slam her fist on the floor. "I wanna have sex and I want to have it right now! You've got no idea what this is like! You don't know how I feel! You don't know how bad I need this right now! I've wanted sex before but this is ridiculous! This is insane! It's _never _been like this! I've never gone through something like this! I know what hormones are! These aren't hormones! This is an all consuming completely crazy need to have a baby!

"Misty, you don't know what sex really is," Tracey tried.

She spat, "It's a means to make babies, babies that would be stronger and faster and better than either Ash or I could ever, ever be. It's the means to get rid of my stupid horniness! It means that I'm in heat, and I will fuck Ash on a table in full view and I don't care _how _embarrassed we'll be afterwards. _You _don't know what sex really is! I want Ash to put his penis in my vagina and to move around until we have orgasms!"

Max giggled from the door behind the door, peaking his head in with a smile. "I think she's got a pretty good idea about that too!"

The blushing brunette leapt to her feet, snatching him up by the elbow and whipping him out. She slammed it fast, so he wouldn't have the chance to come back in, and clicked the lock shut, resting against the door and closing her eyes.

"Misty," she said quietly. "Misty, listen to me, I understand that I have absolutely no idea what you're going through, and I understand that we probably can't…probably can't stop you and Ash from doing what the two of you want to do. You're very strong, and preventing you would only last for a little while, just until the next time this happens. I mean, we don't even know how long this lasts. It could last months or a week…hey, it could even just last a few days and come once a year. You know, mating season. That generally happens with pokémon. There's a mating season once a year and then it's older. They aren't long, are they?"

"Actually, it's animals that have a mating season," Max informed, racing down the stairs. "Pokémon generally have sex at any time they feel like, though often times a female will go into heat, which is a lot like a human's menstruation cycle, during which time males of that same species will become attracted to that female pokémon. Other species may become attracted, but that's less likely. Basically, Misty's ovulating, and because the odds of her having a baby are off the chart, her body is demanding she make one. After she actually has a baby her body won't respond exactly the same, that is, until the baby leaves. Then it's back to going into heat."

"Little brother, you don't need to hear this."

"It's just sex," he argued. "It's not like I haven't seen pokémon do it before. We own a gym in Hoenn, May, it's not like you haven't seen it either." She glared, pointing at the door. "You're just jealous because nobody's had sex with you yet. Nobody's offered. I've had offers."

"_What_?"

"Just joshin'." He giggled, ducked when she swung at his head, and raced out the door, which she once again locked behind him. It wouldn't have done any good anyway, she supposed, as he had gotten in just fine before and probably wouldn't have any problem this time. Nevertheless, she figured he would leave. He had gotten his say and probably didn't need to say anything else. He wouldn't be coming back after ending with that kind of comment, not without risking a terrible injury.

Misty let out a small whimper and curled up once more. "Daisy, it's me that's making him do this. It's this stupid scent I'm giving off, this stupid, stupid smell. He doesn't want to and I'm ruining it for him. I care about him, I do, and I don't want to make him do something I don't want to. It's like chemical warfare on his virginity. It's not right. Just because I don't care doesn't mean I should do this to him. Maybe if I can just hide in the basement until this is all over…we could work something out. Ash would understand, and it's not like you really need me for anything. You don't want me going back to Team Rocket, would you?"

"That would-"

"No." Tracey shook his head at Lily. "Misty, there is absolutely nothing you could have done to predict this. There was nothing you could have done to stop this. It's not your fault. It's not Ash's fault. We don't understand how this works. We don't know how to help you. We don't know if this is a want or a need, if this is a physical or mental addiction. We can only go off of what we've learned from pokémon, and we don't stop pokémon from having sex. We don't know how to stop you. We don't know how long this lasts for an Eggborn. But I can tell you what I've seen, and what I've seen is males go _miles _to find a female in heat. Ash already has your scent. I doubt we could take you anywhere that he wouldn't find you. I don't think we could stop you."

"I don't want to mess up his life," she whispered. "It's bad enough that it'll ruin mine."

"It's only sex," Violet muttered.

"It's a baby! Trust me, Violet, there's no way this is going to happen without a baby. I'm in heat, Ash has never had sex before, and I guarantee you we're not going to end it just once."

"Wear a condom."

Misty laughed, shaking her head. "You idiot, I _need _a baby. I don't want one, but I _need _one. I need a baby, and I'm going to ruin his life with it. I'm sure he wanted to do things. I'm sure he had places to go and people to see and he was supposed to win badges and do all that sort of crazy stuff. I was supposed to be a great Rocket. He took that from me. Maybe if I wasn't so obsessed with his penis right now I'd hate him a little more."

"Have sex with him, Misty," May said suddenly, startling everyone in the room. "You can't ruin his life with this. His life was ruined by the war. Because of the war, he was an Eggborn. Because of the war, he lost his father. Because of the war, he never stood a chance of being a trainer. Because of his _mother_, he doesn't want to have sex with you and he doesn't fight and he doesn't do a lot of stuff he wants to. Like Professor Oak did with Gary, she tried to fix him. He wasn't fixed. There wasn't anything _to _fix.

"He's not human, Misty. You're not human. You never have been. Say what you want, say it's a variation, but rats and chimpanzees and tyrogues share so much of the same DNA it's nearly impossible to tell them apart at a genetic level. You're different. You aren't human and you shouldn't be classified as such. You're not a broken human. You're not a better human. You're something else entirely. Ash doesn't stand a chance with anyone else. _You _don't stand a chance with anyone else. Like it or not, you two are the only little links between humans and whatever Eggborns are going to be called in the future. For now, you're the only ones, though I'm sure there's gonna be plenty more."

She gripped the handle tighter, taking a deep breath. "I used him. I used him as much as he used me. He used me to make his mom happy, and I'm sure something else. Maybe to make himself feel normal. I know what I used him for. He was nice. He showed me around, taught me how to get along in this stupid place. He taught me how to fight. He taught me everything I needed so I could…so I could be a Rebellion agent. And, when this is all over, to travel. That's what I want to do. I can't do it too much now, but I'm going to travel all over some day. And I'll be able to protect myself. And I'll win contests.

"Did you like it when he kissed you?" She smiled at the girl, who had come out of her shell to stiffen, a fire lighting in her green eyes. "I didn't care, really. The entire time all I was thinking about how strange he was, and thinking about how different Eggborns were and how surprised he was that he hadn't killed me. And then I was back to how strange he was. Then I was back to how insanely…likable he was. He could play anyone, you know. And you know why? Because that's what he was taught to do. That's what he was taught to be. It hit me. I _realized_. He was a hero. He was a main character. He had based himself, made himself a main character, and he was able to adjust his traits as needed. He wasn't human. He acted for us. We, somehow, were so simple to figure out, baby Ash figured out how to play us like cards.

"And you're the same damn way. You're not human. You don't belong here. You belong with him, in the wild, building a spaceship out of trees with your super baby because that's what you do. You do freaky shit, and we don't understand it. You're abusive to one another. You beat each other up and yet you're _closer _because of it. You want to beat each other into submission, and _enjoy _it. You aren't human. You aren't right. You don't belong here, so get the hell out."

"I do belong here," Misty snarled. "I have ties to my family! I have friends! Your brother seems to like me well enough!"

"Who cares?" May screamed. "It's not real! You're not _real _Misty! You never have been! Three weeks with him all alone and you two won't come back human! You won't come back normal! You won't talk! You won't act like us! Sure, you can start pretending again, but you'll know it's not real. On some level, you know _this _isn't real. You don't _care _that you're not human? You look _down _on us, don't you? You hate us! You hate me because I'm human, and you hate me more than the others because I saw you for what you really were! For what Ash really was! I'm an explorer, do you understand that? I pay _attention_. I look. I know. And I know you're not human! If you really are, tell me it hurts! Tell me you'd be happy to be just like me!"

She didn't. The redhead stared, eyes flaring with the heat she seemed to suck from May's body, making her cold and shake. The brunette clutched the handle tighter, turning it and throwing it open. She pointed, down the dirt road, down to where Ash was waiting.

"Get the hell out of here! Hate me if you want to, but leave! Get the hell out of here and go make a baby! Have a baby and keep it the hell away from us, because the damn thing will probably kill a human the second it sees it." Her voice raised, and she became hysterical. "You're not human! You're a wolf in sheep's clothing, you fucking crazy! You fuck Ash, make a baby, and come back when you're done with your freaky ritual! Get it on wolf style and come back with your wool sweaters. Nobody will ever know the difference! Because they care about you, they don't want to know."

Misty got to her feet, walking slowly, and paused by the other girl. "I…I don't hate you. Not you specifically."

"I know," May whispered, shaking a bit.

"And…and Glaceon can't stand the heat. Keep her in the pokeball when it's warm out." Misty gasped quietly as a sob threatened to escape from your throat. "Aoko wants to do contests. So I guess she's yours. You can…you can have my baby. She'll love you. She likes people. I like people. I don't hate them. I just…I know that I'm better than you. I don't know how Ash feels, but I know that I'm better. And…it's pity I feel for you, not hate. You can't feel like I do. You can't run as fast. You can't talk to pokémon. It must be hard."

"Just get the fuck out."

Misty swallowed. "Ash…Ash said that you didn't swear. He said you were really nice and you didn't swear. He said…he said your heart beats faster than the others, because you're not in shape. He said it was like a child's. I didn't believe him. Human hearts…they're already so much faster than-"

"_Get the fuck out_."

She barely managed a "take care of Aoko" before she vanished in her haste.

**(PAGEBREAK)**

"I wanna have sex with Misty," Ash explained calmly to the small group of boys. "It's not really that complicated. I like her a lot and I wanna have sex with her. She smells like she did when she used Attract. I like that she smells good. I don't think I need to wait until I'm married. She doesn't care. And you know what else? I don't care if we do have a baby. I think I want one. They'd be pretty awesome, super strong and fast and perfect. Yeah, I definitely want to have sex with Misty."

"Don't we all?" Drew chuckled.

The dark haired boy leapt to his feet, fists clenched at his side and foot stamping once, the house rattling the slighted bit with the force. His mood had swung from the lighthearted boy to something strange to see on the childish face, the features mangled into something wicked. His lips had gone so thin they seemed to vanish, eyes narrowed the slightest bit, teeth all revealed in a snarl. "Don't touch her! I'll kill you!"

"Holy shit," Gary said, eyes widening. "Y'know, Gramps, I don't think I regret the surgery anymore. Thank you. Thank you so, so much."

Ash sank to his chair with a sigh. "This hasn't ever happened _before_."

The professor shrugged. "It's probably because Misty has reached an appropriate level for breeding. She's obviously been ready to bear a human child for quite a while, since she first go there period, so I'm guessing the level of evolution would be about the level where breeding would be appropriate. Your body is merely responding to a female in heat. It's the typical biological process. The female becomes ready for breeding and the male steps up to the plate. Your defensiveness merely comes from being the one to have sex with Misty. Anyone who would threaten your position of passing your genes on is naturally going to get snapped at."

"But I…" Ash paused and stood up, cocking his head to the side. "Misty's coming."

"Sorry?"

"She's down the road. Misty's coming." He looked over his shoulder. "I don't think we're going to stop this time. You're probably going to want to leave. Yeah…you're definitely going to want to leave. You can stay if you want, but don't expect us to stop. You can make a video out of it for all I care. She's not going as fast as she can, normal human running speed. I think something might be wrong. We'll have sex to make it better anyway." He blinked at them. "Well, aren't you going to go?"

They bolted, out the door at the same time Misty charged in, throwing herself into him and tackling him into the wall. For a second, nothing much happened, her head was buried in his chest, his arms rested on her shoulder. She was shaking, with lust or rage or fear or anything, he couldn't tell. He didn't much want to at the moment. He didn't care about her feelings, actually. He did know that just having her here had already made his pants tight, and he couldn't think much else besides, _she smells good. _Similarly, Misty couldn't think much beyond his scent and his warmth. Neither had much of an idea why they weren't moving.

Something snapped, eventually. Neither was quite sure how it happened, but in no time their lip had found each other's, parting, shoving their tongues inside almost carelessly, the warm up before the big game. They came off the wall the slightest bit, keeping their lip together as best they could while Misty unhooked her suspenders and Ash slid off his jacket, then clashed close together. Ash turned his attention to her neck, and she moaned, clutching his shoulders while her feet busied with forcing off her shoes and socks, one less article to worry about.

She went at his neck, biting his collar bone with a surprising amount of force, not bothering to give a gentle kiss to make it better. He didn't mind. His hand were under her shirt, wrestling impatiently with her bra. This lasted for a while, until the kissing had stopped and she had put her head to his chest again, not out of love but to try and hide her hysterical giggles. He yanked it, the stitches holding the clasps on ripping, and two more yanks broke the bra straps, tossed to the floor behind them.

"Hold on," she murmured, breaking away. "I'm going to take off my clothes."

"Do it fast."

She grinned. "How fast?"

His answer was a smile. They were both stripped in no time at all, the girl using her speed stat to get the clothes cast aside and out of the way. And the kissing resumed, hot wild, he guided her to the sofa. She jumped on, then dragged him down, kissing his lips once before turning to his chest, her lips running over his pounding heart, her hands skimming along his abdomen. He tilted her chin up, bringing their lips together again, slow, sensual, sweet.

She thought she did a good job of drawing very little blood from his back when the pain hit.

The first time was terrible, neither had an orgasm, neither had much fun, and Misty wasn't too happy about her pain. The second time was good for Ash. The third time was good for Misty. The few times after that they seemed to get the hang of it. Ash knew how to finish himself, Misty figured out how to tell him what to do so she could finish. And then, much to their surprise, they managed to keep it up for two days. For two days, they had sex with breaks in between for water, snacks, and just to get their energy back. They giggled and they talked, and then they had more sex. There really wasn't much else to do, much else they could think of doing, but the heat did die down.

After their final time, Misty cuddled into Ash and whispered, "I know what they want. We're going to get them first, aren't we? We'll get help from our friends and we'll kill that son of a bitch. We'll stop him from doing what that evil bastard wants to do. Mew only knows what he's going to do with it."

He blinked sleepily. "What?"

She grabbed his hand and lowered it to her abdomen with a smile. "Giovanni, Ash. What Giovanni wants." She kissed his lips softly and rested her forehead on his. "What's the only thing we could give him? What would he let us leave for? What would he have kept me alive for, kept you alive for? We never would have had sex. We never would have battled. You or me…probably one of us would have killed each other in our sleep. I'm sure you would have been dead if I had gotten the order within the first week. We had to be left on our own. This had to happen. But he's not expecting us to come after him."

Ash shook his head. "Misty, we can't just go after Giovanni. We've hacked in but…we need coordination. The shut down and the way in and everything has to be perfectly time. We need all of our team mates, we need a plan. I'm the king of rushing into things, I know that, but it just...people have been training for this for a very long time."

"It doesn't take long to make a good plan. I learned that. Bring in Meowth, my sisters, Gary, a few others and we could have the plan made in just a few hours. I know this place like the back of my hand! And they're getting lazy too, so that just makes it all the easier. They aren't prepared for us, Ash! They've got no idea we're coming."

"No," he said stubbornly. "Misty, this has been going one for two generations. We can't toss it all away just because you want the first strike!"

She squeezed his hand. "We're going to do it. We're going to do it as soon as we can, tomorrow if it works out. Look at your _hand _and think about what we did. What was the point behind this whole thing. What do we have to do to be called a new species? Ash, Giovanni wants _the baby_ we just made."

**(PAGEBREAK)**

Congrats to all of you who saw it coming! I know a few people did, and I'm sure lots more saw it coming. This wasn't really supposed to be a big secret.

And, I suppose the reason I emphasized all the stuff with them not being human is because, quite frankly, I don't want people seeing this and want to emulate it. The relationship between Ash and Misty would _not _be healthy in ordinary life. They are _nowhere _near this bad in the show. There's a difference between friendly competition and a superiority complex. You shouldn't be hitting each other so hard when you play fight that you knock each other out. This relationship is okay because _they're not human_. Do not copy this relationship, do not crave for this relationship. If humans had this, you'd want to kill yourself. They're not human. They can handle it.

Huh…what else? Two or three chapters to go, including the epilogue. As you can tell, next chapter is the Team Rocket break in, so that'll last one or two…probably one. I can't imagine what'll pop up to stretch it into two. It might take a while, because I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of chopping and adding in my head, then I have to type it…then I have to edit that typing…ugh. It's terrible. I'll try to get it up soon but…who knows? Wish me luck!

-pales- Ohmigoodness, I may have to divide the next chapter in two just so I won't end with an odd number, and odd number that doesn't end with _five_, no less! That's nightmarish.


	22. Last

_**Last**_

The two called a small meeting the next day to explain the situation. Much to their surprise, they barely had opened their mouths before Gary was whipping out maps with plans doodled all over them, Lily was plotting out times, and Daisy had drawn her little sister close to discuss the diet plans and exercise routines that would be best to care for the baby (though Misty didn't recall every mentioning a baby). And the whole plan, every last bit of it, was settled in three hours. Everyone who was needed had it drummed into their heads, watches were matched up, and Violet and Lily had successfully worked a time bomb of a virus into Team Rocket's system.

At seven in the morning, with no parents or guardians knowing, Drew and May were walking down the stone path Ash had walked down the September before. It was springtime now. The trees were lush and green, the grass healthier than ever, but the place still felt like winter. May got a chill from the second her foot went from street to stone, and Drew held her close. He wasn't quite sure if he was being protective, or if he needed someone to hold, but he did know that he felt better when he put his arm around her waist.

"Drew?" May murmured. "Drew…Drew, I don't think I can do this. What are we doing here? We're not even sure this is a plan! It got thrown together in a couple of minutes! How am I supposed to pull off being a hopeful Rocket wannabe? I can't act, Drew. You've got to be able to lie to be able to act, and I can't lie. Remember the time I tried to keep the secret from my parents? That I hadn't stolen a cookie before dinner? Everyone knew I did. Max knew, Mom knew, Dad knew, everyone knew! I can't do that. We need to go home."

He pulled her a little bit closer. "I could be at home right now. In a contest. Not even that. I could just be surfing the web. I don't have to be here. But I signed up, because I can't just do nothing. I have to try and help. I can't sit by and let this continue. I wasn't raised that way. My father sent me here with the best blessing he could give. What we're doing is the right thing. It's hard, but we're doing the right thing."

"And we're going to be okay and you're not scared and I need to stop thinking about it and just do it. I know. Stop being such a coward, May. Grow up, May. I signed up for this and I need to follow it through, because that's what good people do." She took a deep, shuddering breath and looked down at the shiny eevee in her arms. "You crazy little baby. You're not even scared. Can't believe I'm getting so worked up and even the little baby isn't nervous. Is that what you're saying?"

"Arceus no." He laughed. "I was thinking if we run away now we're going to have to elope in the Orange Islands. Eloping is romantic, isn't it?"

She bumped him playfully, but neither were quite joking as they continued down the path. It was down that path that they met a man about seven feet tall, well filled out, with a square face and a cigarette sitting between his lips. His name was Earl Edwards, and had Ash been standing with May and Drew, he probably would have been torn between a desire to throw up and a need to moan. The man who first showed him around the school and tossed a bottle of pills into his hands. The man who was now slumped against the wall, a bottle of liquor in his hand.

"Awfully close, huh? The two of you look like a pretty little couple. I had a girl once, before I went into the war. Came back, she was fucking my brother. She was a little whore. Glad she's gone. Died. Got cancer, but she didn't know until it was too late to fix. People still die of that sometimes. People still die of the cold sometime too. Funny, 'cuz that's what my brother died of. His name was Mark." He looked down at the nearly empty bottle with a scowl. "You know, I really miss Mark."

"Sir, we're-"

"My name's _Earl_," Earl insisted, squinting down at the two of them. They still looked a little blurry. "M'name's Earl, and my brother's name was Mark, and Mark fucking m'girl. M'girl got fucked by m'brother. What's the world comin' too? Can't leave a woman alone without her goin' and cheatin'. They say we're bad. Lemme tell ya, son, all these women nowadays…they're whores! You girl, what's your name?"

"May, sir." A moment later she cursed herself for not giving an alias, and corrected. "Mabel Clark, sir. It's May for short."

He informed her, "That's a whore's name. I know. I met a whore and her name was May. Whatchya doin', when you've got a nice name like Mabel and then goin' and makin' yourself sound like a whore? It's a piddy. Pity. Pity's the word. Little pity got an itty! Got an itty bitty eevee. It shines too. What's you got the shiny eevee for, Mabel?"

Drew cleared his throat. "Our test scores weren't good enough to get us in. We don't have the cash to just pay our way in either. So, you know, we do what Rocket business we can as civilians. We managed to find this and we figured, well…who doesn't want a shiny eevee? We're hoping we'll get to meet Giovanni. Do you think he'll come for this? It's a pretty awesome find."

He pointed at the boy, finger wobbling widely in the air, as if he wasn't quite sure where his finger was, or where Drew was for that matter. "If it ain't a killer, you ain't meetin' him. He doesn't want those. Doan even think he want pokémon no more. Think he just wants people. Trained guns. People ain't guns. People ain't good and clean no more. Thought I met one. That Ketchum kid. He went and left, damn kid. Damn kid."

It was then that May quietly reached into her pocket and pulled out a cell phone. Then she texted. She wasn't very quick at it, as she had always liked talking on the phone better, but this wasn't something she could say out loud, and the fear that the crack Team Rocket agent – which they had guessed would be guarding the door -- would crack a code. That, and they hadn't had much time to figure out a code for, "crash Team Rocket's system and make it look like a power out".

"He's a very good kid," she said, finishing the text with a smile. "I'm sure he's doing fine."

**

* * *

**

Ash was doing quite fine as he waited for the lights to all flicker out so he could jump of his circling Pigeot and get into the mess going on below. The second the lights clicked off, Pigeot dived down, and he jumped off, hitting the ground heavier than he would have liked before spinning around and returning his pokémon to the pokeball. Jasmine the Pikachu was barely balanced on his shoulder, having to dig in her little nails to stick to the running boy.

He didn't appear to be too bright at the moment either, not only unnoticing of Pikachu's peril, but running right into the door and slamming smack into it. It was locked, and the impact of running into the locked door at a normal, human pressure left him dazed on his back for a moment, while Pikachu had leapt gracefully to the side and shaking her head with the saddest look of disappointment Ash had ever seen her give in a very long time.

"I'm not stupid," he announced to her.

(_Aren't you?_) she sighed, rolling her eyes to the sky. (_Honestly, Ash, it's the big climax of it all. Can't you at least _try _to keep it serious?_)

"Am trying. Just because I'm not doing to hot at it doesn't mean I'm not trying."

He bent and twisted, pulling out Charizard's pokeball from his belt and releasing the beast. After another incident, this one involving fire, left Ash on the ground and left Pikachu with another sad expression of disappointment. A few sharp orders, a few jumps to avoid the flames, and Charizard finally set his flames on the door, melting the lock off, then tapped his snout against the button twice to put himself back inside. Instead of remembering the situation at hand, Ash spent a good five minutes glaring at the ball, forgot himself and kicked it, and then had to dive into the pool to retrieve the ball he had just lost.

(_And you're _trying _to keep it serious?_)

"Shut up."

A swift kick and the door flew open, he stomped into the hall, ignoring the little click of Pikachu's claws as they tried to keep up. It didn't help that the poor boy, embarrassed as he was, attempted to activate the elevator the second before he realized that the power was out, thanks to his team's doing. Pikachu laughed again, and he blushed, storming away and making his way down a flight of stairs, taking them three at a time and almost tripping once or twice. He caught himself as best he could, and either caught himself so well Pikachu hadn't seen or she had finally decided that he was too pathetic to laugh at anymore.

He stopped, hesitating before he pushed open the door at the bottom of the stairs, beginning to count the levels in his head and on his fingers.

"We're on the first floor, not the basement. Should have known. You said and Meowth said that it was pretty far underground. The steps would have to be practically horizontal for me to get down there. I can't go through the vents though. I'll die for sure. Well, probably not." He chuckled to himself. "But it'll hurt like hell and it's not exactly going to be a quiet entrance. So…so yeah. Can't do that. There has to be some other way down. Something quiet, something-"

(_Like an elevator run by a separate power source?_) She sighed and rolled her eyes to the ceiling, have expecting to see her owner's brains splattered there against the ceiling. Since they certainly weren't in his head anymore.

"Yeah," he nodded. "That'll work."

(_That's what we _have, _Ash. I told you all this. Remember? The raichu that knew a Sammy that's probably Professor Oak? Separate power source. That elevator should still work. The one Misty always uses and the one I know how to hijack without a problem. Why don't you listen?_)

"I'm listening to the footsteps above if you'd shut up for a minute," he muttered, cocking his head to the side.

The footsteps were coming fast, and he was cornered. Running out in the hallway would only make them come after him, probably bring more people, delay the inevitable and worsen his odds. Better now to stand and fight. He did have enough pokémon on his belt, though he knew a couple of them were too small to battle in a staircase. Charizard was out, and Pigeot wouldn't be much use. Squirtle was fine, so was Pikachu, Bulbasaur as well. Then, for Jazzy's sake, he had brought Meowth with him. Although he did have a slight soft spot for the obnoxious pokémon, he would never let the thing battle for him.

A moment later, and he was hardly able to keep himself from groaning. Jessie and James, of all people. He had had enough of them in class, and he had rarely bumped into them as it was. He didn't think he couldn't stand putting up five minutes for the one hit KO it would take to get out of there, but it didn't look like he had much of a choice at that point, especially with Jessie grinning like someone had just told her she had won the lottery. And James…James was wearing a dress, and for the first five minutes of Jessie's rant.

"You stupid fool! We'll crush you like a bug!" Jessie raged, coming to the end of her tirade.

Ash blinked twice. "Dress?"

James smiled and smoothed the simple blue evening gown. "Do you like it? I think it's lovely. It really brings out my hair and eye color. Since you've been here, things have been getting more and more slack. You'd be surprised what seeing a man out of uniform can do. Kids have stopped taking their pills, blowing off responsibilities and having lots of fun. Most of them still wear a uniform, but people cheer when I wear my dress. It's wonderful! No one even looks at me twice! Jessie likes to help me do my makeup. Don't you like my cheekbones?"

Ash nodded slowly. "They're high and very well defined."

"Thanks." He giggled. "Jessie did them for me. She does a _great _job with my blush."

"Enough of this, James," Jessie snapped, a real blush spreading across her cheeks as she reached for a pokeball. It expanded in her hand and she held it out. "Alright, you twerp, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. I'll bet anything Giovanni will give a great big prize if we catch the stupid little runaway and there's no way I'm going to let you stop me from getting that reward! What say you, kid? Is it a battle or can we just walk you down the aisle to meet your maker?"

"My maker's name is Stealth."

Jessie tripped a bit at that, but rebalanced and nudged James with her elbow. He sighed and pulled out his pokeball, obviously not too excited to battle. They both sent out their pokémon, although the boy was nowhere near as enthusiastic. She threw out an Arbok, a big, purple snake with a large hood around its head. James tossed out a Wheezing, purple again, but two constipated looking faces plastered on the orbs, with toxic signs underneath.

"Can we not do this?" Ash begged. "Really. I'll beat you without a problem and I really need to get a move on before the power turns on."

"He's right, Jessie. Can't we battle him when the lights turn on? I can't see anything when it's this dark I'm a little scared." He pulled a face. "And the kid's freaky anyway! How did he know how my cheekbones looked in the dark?"

"Simple flattery. He knew you'd fall for it."

"I'm an Eggborn."

"Nuh-uh!" James shouted. "If you were, you wouldn't have gotten in here! You would have been killed with the rest of them! Besides, you're supposed to be wild and crazy and not have any real human feelings and we know you do so you have to be lying! Tell the truth! At the very least you have to be super strong or fast or something! Even super smart!"

Ash groaned and rolled his eyes, grabbing the metal railing beside him and giving it a good tug. The thing went with him, bending and creaking until he let it go. It gave a few lingering moans, then fell as quiet as the two Rockets staring him down. Ash really wasn't sure what else to do, as his speed was nowhere near as good as Misty's and the only smart thing he could think of would be to name the first ten digits of pi which didn't really seem that smart as many people knew way more numbers than that.

Instead, he settled for saying in his most threatening voice: "I could do that with your spine." He couldn't, technically, as he was pretty sure the spine would break and wouldn't bend, but it sounded impressive and he was much too preoccupied thinking about getting the hell out of there to do say anything smarter.

"My spine would just snap," Jessie pointed out finally. "It wouldn't bend like that."

Ash scowled. "Who _cares_? You're dead either way! Come on! I don't want to fight and I don't want to kill you and you guys don't really seem to notice that I'm some kind of _god! _If you could just give it up and let me walk away, I'd really appreciate it. Remember Misty? Yeah, she's in the basement right now and she kind of needs me. We're trying to take out your stupid leader Giovanni so we can get back to our lives and have a beautiful baby!"

"A baby? Congrats!" James giggled. "Are you sure you're the daddy or has Misty been fooling around? Never can tell with you Eggborns! You're awfully tricky."

"Pikachu, thund-"

(_Hold on, Ash,_) she began. (_Battling isn't a good idea. You'll be heard, you know. We're luck enough the yelling hasn't brought anyone down. If we're going to attack, you need to use attack that no one will notice, normal type attacks, and mild ones. I wouldn't recommend me. You could battle them, Ash. You're not strong enough that you'd leave more permanent marks. A battle between me and these two…these aren't strong pokémon, Ash. Another life, dealing with more blows might have strengthened up their defense, but a good hit from me could kill them, not to mention destroy the concrete._)

"And you care about their lives? _You_? You usually give anything to battle, do anything to win. You've…you've killed for me before."

(_I don't want to kill what I don't have to, not anymore than you do, Ash. Neither of us are murderers, not in cold blood. They seem nice enough, Ash. I'm sure we can talk something out._) She raced up to his shoulder. (_They seem greedy and self absorbed too. Offer them money or glory, I'm sure they'd jump right on the chance._)

He sighed, shaking his head. "Alright. Jessie, James, is there any way I can _buy _my way out of this situation?"

"You have money?" Jessie asked.

"I have an account. I'm sure you've got some handheld device on you. I'll give you my account name, my password, you can access my account easy. There's plenty of money in there too. Loads, actually."

"You're rich?"

"Gary Oak is. Our accounts are joined. If you get into mine you get into his, you can buy a half wit hacker off the street even if you hit a slight snag." He shrugged at his half lie, because his account and Gary's account weren't joined, and he didn't have a lot of money…but the account number he planned to give them _did _have a lot of money in it, and it _did _belong to Gary. He figured that Gary would figure out that his savings were being drained within the next two weeks. He also figured that, by the time those two weeks past, he wouldn't ever have to see them again.

Jessie pulled out some flat, rectangular device which Ash assumed was the latest and greatest brand of portable computer, and they traded information. Jessie went to the website and plugged in the name and password, then grinned like she had just won the lottery, and Ash wouldn't be surprised if she actually had. When James peaked over her shoulder, his eyes widened like he had never seen that many zeros after a number. But Jessie snatched it away when he grabbed for it and shoved it in her pocket, standing up a little straighter and tilting her chin up so high she must have been looking at the wall above his head.

"We need something to appease the boss when you lose. Give us your Pikachu," she said.

Ash scowled. "I need Pikachu in order to take Giovanni down. If I give you Pikachu there's no point in me doing anything else and I might as well battle you. Hurry up, I have things to do. Isn't that enough to buy you off? Gary's pretty freaking rich."

"The boss has all the money he needs. Money can't buy our protection-" Ash had to bite down a remark about it being good enough to buy them into the school "-from a high class guy like him. No, he wants something that's worth more than money, a special pokémon. From the rumors surrounding you, any one of your pokémon will do. Tell us what we get to steal off your corpse and give to the boss when you fail."

Ash threw his hands out to the side, then weakly let them fall to his side. "I dunno. You can have a talking Meowth when I die. Does that sound cool? Your pokémon look healthy, better you get them than him going to the basement. Sure. Why the hell not? You can have a freaking talking Meowth. Can I _go _now?"

"A talking meowth? A…impossible! You couldn't…Take him out!" Jessie stomped her foot and pointed at him, looking like a villain straight from an anime with her short skirt and tight shirt uniform. "You take Meowth out right now and prove it! There's no way you could possibly have a talking meowth, because I _met _the only talking meowth and the meowth is as good as dead! If you've got Aiden we'll _escort _you to the elevator! That's how sure I am!"

James shuffled back and forth a bit, gulping before he looked up. "Meowth was our pokémon, you see. I mean, really our pokémon. We had him before we joined Team Rocket. Jessie had him since he was a kitten. After a couple years in school…well, I guess you could say that he wasn't very good at battling. He wasn't very good at anything to tell the truth. He was a good friend, but not much else. A year in and he was confiscated. We kept asking about him for a couple years, but no one would tell us where he was or what they had done with him or who owned him. One day, one of the science dorks snapped and said he was tested on, dead."

Ash chuckled, turning to his belt and pulling out Meowth's pokeball. "Some people forget you're always supposed to check to make sure the pulse is gone before you make assumptions like that. Jazzy here found him wandering around the basement, eating poison rats. He'd built up some kind of immunity to it, but he'd gone temporarily crazy. Don't worry, cleared up pretty fast once he was with friends and off the poison. His name is Aiden and he's a talking Meowth, don't blame me if it's not him."

He tossed them the pokeball, and with trembling hands Jessie released the creature inside. Meowth came out facing Ash, on his hind legs, standing up straight in his all too human posture. He looked around for a moment, his ears flicking back and forth, head swiveling around the room, until he caught sight of the two of them. He spun around, jumping, eyes as wide as his mouth, and jumped at them, the three of them rolling on the floor in a sobbing, laughing mess, Arbok and Wheezing joining in as best they could.

"Yeah, yeah, it's a great reunion and all but I have to get a move on! I was promised an escort to the elevator, remember? Heartfelt moments _after _I take down the evil dictator! I…I'm serious!" He growled and glared down at his feet. "I'm _trying _to be serious. How come every time I _try _to be serious it just comes back and bites me in the butt? It turns into a slapstick comedy. Misty never has to put up with this. Neither does Gary. So it's _not _because I'm an Eggborn and it's _not _because I'm a guy. What is it about me that nobody can take serious?"

(_Your adorable face?_)

"I bent a metal _railing_. Isn't that impressive? I mean, if I was anybody else I'd be crying. I'd be scared out of my freaking mind. I even said a macho thing about breaking their spine like that. If anyone else did that, it'd be scary. Dawn could do that and it'd be scary. You know what? _Max _could do it. Max could have done it five years ago and it'd still be absolutely terrifying. Maybe I'm just not manly enough. You know, something like this could drive a kid to taking steroids." He froze. "It's because I tell _jokes_, isn't it?"

Pikachu rolled her eyes and he didn't get much of an answer from that one, but once the delighted reunion had stopped, the two humans stood and grabbed him up by the shoulders. Though a second later he would realize the motivation behind their actions and regret it, he elbowed James in his lower stomach and hit Jessie just below her ribs, not too hard, but strong enough to make both of them jump back and grab their torso's in pain.

"We were going to take you captive!" Jessie shouted. "Make it look like we were taking you in! You want to get there without any suspicion, don't you? What better way than to look like a fugitive? We had the perfect plan and you go and hit us! I don't think I want to help you now!"

"Oh, Jessie, would you calm down? It's not like we gave him any warning. I would have done the same thing in his place. Plus, he's an Eggborn, and you know how unpredictable they can be. We just have to be grateful he hasn't reverted to his old habits and killed either of us yet. Whoever trained him did a very good job of making him a passable human. Ash, we're going to _pretend _to take you hostage and take you to Giovanni. We're not actually going to do it, so we'd appreciate it if you didn't hit us as we took you."

Ash scowled. "I'm not some kind of wild animal. Even if you don't want to call me human, I'm damn near close, and I'm a helluva lot better. I'm not going to hit you know that you've explained what you're doing, but you can't just grab a guy like that and expect him to go along with it! Who wouldn't get a little freaked out by that?"

They muttered a few key phrases, grabbing him up a little too rough for his liking (though he didn't say a word about it) and tugged him down the hallway, tugging him into the elevator, and leaving him looking rather indignant as the doors slid closed. They didn't let go, perhaps getting too into it or just forgetting that there was no one in the elevator, and probably no one on the ground floor that would matter by this time. He could knock a few men out without causing a scene in the basement.

The doors slid open and he shook them off, muttering, brushing off his pants as he did. Once he finished, he looked up with a sigh, then a gasp, followed by a very loud, "Oh _shit_."

**

* * *

**

And while all that went on, Misty had waited below for the lights to click off. The moment they did, she used a Double Kick to break the cover free from the vent, and crawled inside. It was a little warm, not too hot, but enough to make her move quicker than she normally would. She had been told that the crawl would take a while, but it had seemed so short on the map that she hadn't really braced herself. Now she wished she had. She was feeling a strange sense of claustrophobia, only made worse by the fear of the heat. She had to move fast in case it all came back on, in case the heat turned back up.

She couldn't have been crawling for more than five minutes when she found a place to escape. She slammed her fist on the grate, yanking back hissing with pain when it hadn't the slightest effect. Instead of trying again, she shuffled over it and flipped on her back, using the heels of her feet to do another Double Kick and knock it free. She slid through the hole and hit the floor, surprisingly heavy. The floor wasn't dirt, but solid concrete, and her shoes weren't thick enough to absorb any shock.

Apparently, there was a grate between her destination and the entrance. The boiler room. That brought back sweet memories, the murder not so long ago. Last winter, as she remembered, the boy had gone tumbling down after a few nasty bumps. At least he wasn't alive to feel it. The damned thing was hot. From across the room, Misty could feel her skin warming. Not painful, but she suspected a few steps close might be. It had to be hot though. It had to help heat the school, all the water. Had to run a lot of machines. Still, she couldn't help but think it was a bit of overkill. That, or terrible planning.

And there was someone else. A loud clear of the throat brought Misty's attention to the blonde in the corner. Her once icy eyes seemed a bit glazed now. Her muscle tone had been lost and she had gained weight. Her skin was breaking out. She was scarier than before, however. There was something in the way she slid up the wall, staggered a few steps closer, grinned like she was meeting an old friend, and spoke.

She whispered, "Hey, Misty. Hey…hey there, pretty girl. Don't know where you came from, huh? You ran off a while ago with that Ash kid. Butch died just before that. I keep wondering about where he went. He _died_, we know that. I told Giovanni, I told him. I said that my partner was dead. The man that I was completely perfect for, even personality wise! We had been matched up for our genetics, and I feel in love with him. He loved me too. He thought I was amazing. Tell me, does Ash tell you _you're _amazing? That's what Butch told me every night. Every night before we went to bed, went to bed and…and…"

Misty eyed the girl's stomach. "You haven't gained weight, have you? You're pregnant too."

"Oh, I've gained weight." She laughed. "I've gained _plenty _of weight. And little Butch? He's gained a lot of weight too. He's going to be a big man, just like his daddy. He's a fighter too. I can tell, because he's always kicking. Always kicking when I get excited. He gets excited when he knows Mommy's on a mission, when Mommy's getting ready to kill for her boy's supper. Ooh, you can bet that he's kicking hard now. I bet he's going to kick his way out any second now. And then it'll be _two _against one, and you'll have even less of a chance."

"I won't fight you. I don't have a grudge against you or your baby. I have to talk to Giovanni, Cassidy. He called me. You understand that, right? Giovanni called me. I have to go help him. I can't stay here and talk to you. I have to do things. I have to do a lot of very important things, and you have to take care of your baby. Giovanni sent me out to spy on Ash, and it turns out that Ash _was _a spy. He was planning on taking down Team Rocket. I can't let him get away with this. He's going to destroy all the good we did and replace it with so many horrible things. Chaos, disorder, people just breeding with whoever they want, a perfect race gone."

"I've got a perfect race inside me," Cassidy continued, putting a hand to her stomach. "Giovanni did make this. _Butch _did. Butch was everything to me. He was my partner, my friend, my husband. He…he was my friend since childhood. We weren't allowed to have other friends. It was only me and him. Just me and him. When we fought, we were forced to make up or we didn't get to eat. We never had any problems with our relationship when we grew up because of it. Giovanni made the relationship work right, but he didn't make the baby. Butch and I…we made the baby. It's ours. Even if it wasn't time to make it yet, he can't decide whether or not…"

Misty took a cautious step forward. "You're out of commission because of it, right? He wants you to kill the baby so you can get back to work. You're healthy and the baby's healthy and you want it but he wants to take it from you, is that it? You're hiding from him down here, aren't you? If he can't get you in that room someone will shoot the baby or punch it or just drag you into a room, knock you out and finish the job. You know that Giovanni's doing something wrong."

"No. Not Giovanni," she murmured, and the hand began to move, trying to soothe the kicking baby. "Giovanni is never wrong. Butch and I didn't wear protection or buy pills. We're supposed to do that. And we're supposed to ask permission first. Butch was taken from me as my punishment. Because I did something very, very wrong. But I won't do anything wrong like that again. And I would never accuse Giovanni of being wrong. No good Rocket would. But you're not a good Rocket. You're a bad Rocket. You killed Butch."

"I didn't kill Butch," she said, clearly, shortly, her voice tight, but she continued on without knowing why, the words coming fast and getting louder as she went. "I didn't touch your stupid husband. If he died, it's through no fault of mine. I didn't kill him. Stop blaming me for something I didn't even do, something I couldn't do! I never got to talk to him, see him! Like you said, he was always with you! He hated me! How was I supposed to get close to him? How was I supposed to get close to anyone?"

"You cornered him," she insisted. "Tricked him!"

"Why did you break up with Butch?" Misty asked. "That's how I found him, you know. He came to me. He tried to rape me. He was drunk and he didn't know what he was doing. He tried to rape me, and then he tried to kill me. Was it…you wanted to stop because you forgot to ask Giovanni for permission? You got caught up in the moment one night, is all. You forgot yourself and he forgot himself and forgot about Team Rocket and you just…made love, I bet. You had sex, nice sex, not something corporate and strict. It came from something sick, though. You didn't have anyone else to chose."

"Neither did you!" Cassidy shouted. "You said, 'you're pregnant _too_'! That means you're pregnant! And you could only be pregnant if you slept with another stupid Eggborn because you're stupid, dirty, no good murdering Eggborn! You don't even care that he's dead, 'cuz you haven't got a Mew damned soul! You're a heartless bitch, that's it!"

"How do you kn-"

"I'm a _Supreme_! That's how I know! Honestly, your DNA is in the system, you idiot. Don't you think we knew? Didn't you think that _everyone _knew? Granted, the stupid little grunts didn't know a thing but everyone with a stupid rank _knew._ It was pretty obvious. You had to get extra strength pills that didn't work. You weren't allowed to have pokémon. Know why? Because those pills couldn't stop you from understanding them _all _the time. And, apparently, they didn't kill your libido. 'You're pregnant too'!"

Misty took one step back, slowly her breathing and bracing herself. "Alright, alright. I understand. It's been very crazy around here and…and I understand that. But we need to calm down. We can't run around and hurt each other. We've both got babies, Cassidy. We don't want to hurt the babies. I'm sure I hate you as much as you hate me, but we can't hate each other's children. It's not their fault. We can't kill each other and someone else who didn't do a thing. Our grudges can't-"

"You _killed _him."

"The sins of the parent aren't the sins of the child, Cassidy. I won't hurt your kid because of what you did to me, and you should return the favor. My business isn't with you."

"Murderer and betrayer. You don't even have a shred of dignity left! Business with Giovanni! Business with _him_? Why would he want to meet with _you_? You're just an Eggborn. We kept you for experiments! We wanted to see if we could steal your strength and speed and give it to an agent worth our time! And even if that great, great man wanted to meet with _you_, why wouldn't you just come through the front door, instead of crawling through the vents? Where's your great lies _now_, Misty? There's too many flaws in your story!"

Misty crouched low, nearly on all fours as Cassidy reached for her back pocket. She was going for the taser, and Misty would have to be quick to avoid it. One touch from the stun gun and the mission was over. She was sure the power would be back on by the time it wore off, and that was bad enough. Odds were Giovanni had some kind of security camera down below, though she wasn't sure if anyone would be watching it, or how competent they would be.

She sighed. "I'm going to have to kill you too, aren't I? I don't want to, Cassidy. I want somebody to cut that baby out of you and give it to someone who isn't completely crazy. Maybe it could join the rebellion, with Ash n' me. Won't that be fun? Maybe I'll take the baby and raise it to be a little traitor! That's what people in the rebellion do, what Eggborns do. We steal your baby and then we teach it how to betray Giovanni and Team Rocket. And we'll teach him how to rip up pictures of Butch."

She ripped it out, firing the small charge in Misty's direction. She did a quick Agility, darting out of the way to the left side and eyeing what had been fired. Not the typical taser, with a cable attached, but something she hadn't seen before. There was a small circle of metal that stuck to wall, little sparks of electricity clearly shooting out. Not that she had much time to dwell on that, as she could feel her skin prickling with the heat from the now much closer furnace. She couldn't get much closer without it ending in disaster.

"Like my new toy?" Cassidy giggled. "It's brand new. Little charges. I've got a whole bunch in here, plenty to just keep firing and firing and firing. I've got at least fifty, 'cuz these little things are paper thin. They're incredible, Misty. Why don't you come a little closer? I'd like to see what happens when I actually hit someone. Your little body thrashing around might just fall into the fire, or maybe, when I'm carrying your paralyzed body out, I'll trip and drop you in. Or maybe it'll just kill you, right off the bat. What do you think?"

She stood a little straighter, "I think it won't touch me, and you need to cut this out. You don't want to die, Cassidy. You want a lot of bad things right now but you can't tell me that dieing is one of them. Please, come to your senses and just let me go."

"I can't let you hurt Giovanni. Unlike you, I know how to be committed to something other than myself!"

She fired again, and Misty darted across the room, now on the right side, glaring at the charge still fizzing. She didn't have the time for this, but there was no way she could make it up the ladder at the far end or into the vents with Cassidy firing the way she was. She couldn't wait until the charges were gone either. There could be ten, there could be fifty, could be more. There was no guarantee that the blonde had any idea what was in her gun. She needed a plan, she needed it quick, and she needed something that could be done pretty fast too. She only had so much time until the cameras clicked on and the grunts came running.

"He's kicking," Cassidy whispered. "Your baby won't ever kick you. Even if you did live it's in a stupid egg. You'll never be pregnant like a normal woman."

She laughed, but her hand slid to her abdomen nevertheless. Another shot, and she darted to the middle of the room, facing Cassidy completely. She didn't like putting her back to the furnace, didn't like the feeling of the scorching heat on her bare back. It felt like it was much closer than it was, and the sound of the roaring flames and the scent of smoke didn't help much either.

"I am pregnant, just like a normal woman. Maybe the baby will grow a little faster, or a little slower. Maybe the baby will have to hatch once it comes out, or maybe it'll hatch inside and come out just like normal. The only thing that makes it different from yours is that this is my baby. It's my baby and Ash's baby, and it's going to be stronger and faster and smarter than yours will ever be. _That's _why Giovanni wants me to come back. Giovanni wants this baby. Giovanni wants a whole army of Eggborn babies, and if he had his way I'd bet anything you'd be carrying one of Ash's children too."

"_Shut up_!"

Another charge, and she flattened herself to the right side once more, breathing heavy. She had come forward, a bit of a relief from the furnace. It made the difference, those couple of inches. But something she had said was making her think. If she was faster, stronger, smarter, did that mean she could get closer to the furnace than Cassidy did? And, if she could, how close could she lure her? And how close would Cassidy be willing to get before she realized she was doing something stupid? Probably not too close, but just a little closer was all she needed.

"You always were a bad long range shot, Cassie darling." Misty laughed and took a step closer. She didn't like it, every nerved screamed to run away from the heat, and her brain began to replay Butch's death in her head. "You always had the worst long range shot in your group. A lot of the baby students could shoot better than you. Remember Erin? Erin was five, but that little kid still have a better shot than you. Never missed the target once. What was your ratio? One out of a thousand?"

Cassidy made a strange snarling sound and took a step forward, shooting again. Misty used Agility once more, and this time she brought herself closer to the furnace at the end. Again her stomach clenched, and now the baby was brought up. Instincts urged her to kill Cassidy now, better not to risk the baby at all. Better to just run at her, to beat her to death than to get close to the fire behind her. She shook it off and glared at her, fighting back a smile when she took a step forward, lips pressed thin.

"You have no idea what a rush I'm getting from this. I'm so happy to finally be killing you and your stupid-"

"I bet you're excited," Misty said, words quick. "I bet you're so excited. I would be too. Who couldn't be? You're gonna kill the person who killed your husband, but you haven't got the aim. You can't kill me. You can't shoot long range for crap. You can't do a thing. Butch couldn't either. Butch was so pathetic. He was so easy to kill. I liked doing it, and once you run out of shots I'm gonna go after you and I'll rip your damned throat out."

She shrieked and stumbled forward, firing three more, none of which Misty had to bother dodging. Still, she continued to back away, and now her body was giving her more than just a warning. She was too hot now, overheating like she had spent too much time in the sun. Cassidy must have been feeling the heat by that time, but if she did, she didn't seem to show it, still marching forward, ever closer to the furnace. Two more charges, and Misty darted back again.

Cassidy ran forward, surprising the girl when she opted to tackle her into the ground instead of shooting her again. They skidded closer to the furnace now, but fists were a bigger priority at the moment. She wasn't as strong as Ash, but certainly stronger than Misty. She swung at her head, but Misty rolled away, even closer to the heat, and kicked the other girl to the side, kicked her in the stomach, not that she cared at this point. Cassidy wasn't about to let her live, and Misty had a job to do.

She stumbled to her feet and snatched at the door to the thing. She yelled a bit, feeling the sting in her hands. She cuddled them to her chest, and was thrown to the floor once again. They were both shrieking, Misty because her already burned fingers had been scraped against the concrete. She swiveled to her back to give the girl a sharp kick to her ribs, feeling something give way against her foot. A second kick, this one the start of a Double Kick to her side again, and one more time before she took a step back and turned.

Cassidy was sandwiched between her and the furnace now. The girl, shaking as she stood, spat out a bit of blood to the floor.

Misty didn't hesitate, didn't ask for last words, simply gave a hard shove and watched her fall into the flames, shut the door to her screams, and bit back a few of her own. She ran away, grabbing a couple of boxes to stack so she could climb out. Each motion hurt, as she was sure her entire front side was red like she had spent too much time in the sun. It felt like a sun, and her hands seemed to be turning redder and redder with each new box she piled on.

Three boxes and she hauled herself to the top, then into the vents. She shuffled forward even faster than before, each movement painful on her hands. Now she was plagued with another scream, two more deaths, and when she threw up a few moments later, she couldn't help but wonder if Ash was starting to wear off on her. Last fall, she wouldn't have even twitched at the thought of killing someone, now the thought of it plagued her to no end.

She made it to the next vent in no time at all, managing to kick it out in one hit, and sliding through as carefully as she could manage. Still, her hands touched the edge that seemed sharp to her burnt hands and her front skimmed it painfully as she went down. Thankfully, the tile seemed to lessen the shock, and her ankles didn't throb when she landed solely on them to save her hands the trouble.

She stood for just a minute, stumbling to the wall and closing her eyes. She was breathing heavy, barely able to hear the quiet springs of a mattress over the sounds of it. She didn't much mind if there was someone coming at this point, not with her prints and DNA in the system, and not when each breath was painful in itself thanks to the nasty scent of technology, chemicals and cleaning fluids, so concentrated she was sure if she opened her eyes a purple mist would be hanging in the air.

"You're Misty, aren't you? Giovanni talks about you a lot. He says you're in the Rebellion now, he let you run. Is it true, or did you outsmart him?"

She opened her eyes, no purple fog, but a boy with red-brown hair and dark eyes, a boy with a face even younger than Ash's. Dawn's age, she bet, and strangely enough his eyes looked it too. He hadn't killed a man himself, or even seen a man go she was sure, probably never even seen a person break their leg. She couldn't imagine that this was a boy who lived in Kanto, who was imprisoned by the Giovanni she had come to know as nearly heartless and mostly mad.

"Kenny," she stated. He nodded. "You're Kenny, captured when you tried to investigate Team Rocket? Ash's mom didn't trust him to come alone and sent you or something like that. I'm kinda surprised. You don't look like a…like much of anything, really."

"And you look like a scrawny girl who couldn't even lift a marshmallow on a toothpick," he growled, grabbing the metal bars that he now pressed his face again. "I'm pretty tough, you know! I've been trapped here for a really long time and I'm not ready to kill myself and I'm not crazy or anything! I'm just the same as when I came in here except I have a bunch of knowledge about Team Rocket, more than you probably do. Can't you use your Eggborn powers to get me out of here."

She snorted and closed her eyes, leaning against the wall. "I'm not a superhero. They aren't powers or anything. It's a lot like having pokémon, only you _are _the pokémon and you have to hide it so you don't end up getting killed. I'd like to think that the prison cell is a little stronger than that. I can't Double Kick it open or anything. I was hoping I'd be able to just sort of open the door with the power out. It's usually electric locks nowadays, but no, you've got some old fashioned metal key crap. I can't pick that. No one can. It's probably freaking rusted shut."

"The power's out?"

"It's _dark, _isn't it?"

"They turn the lights out so I can sleep," he defended. "How am I ever supposed to know if…how am I supposed to know? I thought it was night or morning or something. I don't have any way to tell what time it is. I always have to guess. And you're just being mean! Why don't _you _think? Can't you…don't you…You have to have pokémon! Can't you use a fire type to burn the metal? You can just melt the lock off! It wouldn't be so hard."

"I don't have any fire types," she muttered. "And I'm done with fire for the day."

She heard footsteps go back and fall back on the bed with a loud, obnoxious moan. "Great! _Great!_ They sent me a rescuer that can't even rescue right. An Eggborn that doesn't really have any powers on top of it! I'm going to be trapped in here forever! I bet you're not really in the Rebellion. What? Were you seducing Ash to steal Rebellion secrets? You knew that he had just had a painful break up and you were catching him on the rebound! You pretended you had the fiery passion of love but you-"

"Will you stop talking about fire and Eggborns?" she groaned. "Those are two topics I _really _don't want to talk about right now."

"What's up with you and fire?"

"Golly gee, I don't know. Maybe I just shoved someone into the boiling hot flames, listened to their screams as they died and then did a pretty damn good number on setting myself on fire. My entire front feels like I slept in the sun at the equator for a few days without any kind of sun screen or like, maybe, I don't know, I stood in front of a fire hot enough to freaking melt bone and turn the entire body to ash. You know what that makes me think of? Ash. You know what Ash is? The father of my unborn freak Eggborn child and I'm scared out of my freaking mind that my baby is going to be a purebred Eggborn monster of evil and death. I'm going to have some kind of Giratina love child!"

Kenny cleared his throat nervously. "If you…uh, the key is around Giovanni's neck. If you go down the hall you'll find some stairs, you can get out through there. And then, in the big room, there's some more stairs and you can climb those to get to his room. If that's what you're after it's…it's there. So you can go if you want. You can come back to me later. I wouldn't be much help if I broke free. Heh, I'm, uh, pretty sure you could take me and you could probably take Giovanni with those hormones."

"They aren't pregnancy _hormones_, you stupid little moron! I got pregnant yesterday or the day before or something! I'm being a freaking _bitch _because I just killed a _pregnant lady _who was not only _hormonal _but out of her freaking _mind_. All of this stupid jumpstarted crap came from stupid _hormones _because Ash and I were in heat and this all came around because of a really, really fun trip of _fucking _the man who might be my love forever or, you know, I might forget about if I ever meet another Eggborn. You know, just that kind of _fun fucking stuff_. Why don't you shut the _hell _up when you don't know what you're talking about?"

He gulped. "You're sure there's not a _little _bit of hormones left in there?"

She growled low, then stomped off with a cry over her shoulder of, "Prob'ly."

Down the hallway she went, so blinded by rage and dark that she crashed into steps before she saw them, and cursed her luck for banging her hip against the metal railing. The stairs were cement, hard on her ankles as she jogged up them two at a time. Everything was sore by now, and with shock starting to set in her thoughts were getting hazy and her head getting light. She grabbed at the railing to steady herself, and found her palms slick with sweat. She swore again, not that it had helped much last time and it didn't help much this time. It did help raise her temper, and she fueled it with hateful thoughts of Giovanni and Cassidy and plowed up the stairs with renewed strength.

"You better be something fucking special," she snarled at her uterus. Her uterus didn't answer her, so she gave it a slight thump with her fist before she went back to talking to herself. "It's all Ash's fault. If Ash hadn't shown up I'd still be taking those pills, and I'd be doing just fine. I'd be doing better than fine, and certainly wouldn't be pregnant with some little demon spawn. You're going to have red hair, huh? I bet. It's going to be curly too. You'll have my eyes and his face. You can be a boy or a girl, I don't care. You'll have to look a lot manlier though, if you turn out to be a boy and you've got Ash's face."

She reached the top of the stairs and paused with one hand on the door handle, the other on the baby. "Stupid thing. Can't believe I ended up with a stupid thing like you. I don't know what came over me. I hope this doesn't happen every year. I'd have to run away from Ash if it did. There's no way I'm going to spend every spring making one of these stupid things. I don't even want this first one. I'm going to give you to Mrs. Ketchum to take care over, because she seems like she'll take care of you even if you aren't hers. Even if she doesn't look like one, she's definitely the motherly type."

With that, she opened the door and entered the basement Meowth and Pikachu had been in just last year. It was still the same, still rows of cages, still wild pokémon, still smelled like chemicals and made her stomach turn. She threw up again, muttering a much louder oath this time, crouching and panting. Morning sickness, Cassidy screaming, tired, shock, chemicals, was there anything else the world wanted to throw at her? If she threw up again she bet she could have rivaled Ash, in all his thin skinned glory.

The stairs here, to Giovanni's lair she was sure, were barely anything more than sheet metal jutting from the wall, silver and made of the kind of metal that would shine light back from the lamps overhead if they were on. The platform up top was slightly larger, a square with a railing along the two sides not covered by door or stairs. Her feet made deafening, thumping, clanging sounds all the way up the steps, each one making her wince more than before. There was definitely no sneak attack happening today. In fact, she was surprised there was no one rushing out of the shadows to mob her.

Up on the final landing, she grabbed the handle again, put her hand to her uterus again, but, this time, the pause was much longer. The instincts that had gotten her into this mess were now commanding she get out. There was a baby at stake here, _her _baby. Did she want to end up like Cassidy? A baby that would never see the light of day? At least Cassidy's baby would hardly feel any pain, with fires that hot neither would last long, but how long would it take and how bad would it hurt a baby if the mother was shot, slowly dying? How much would the baby hurt if _it _was shot? Could a baby live through a bullet wound? She didn't know, honestly, though she was pretty sure that Giovanni had a gun he knew how to use.

Instinct told her to turn around. Instinct told her to protect the baby, to head home. She wouldn't be able to take good care of it if she was hurt, and she didn't want a crippled baby. _Besides,_ her mind rambled, _it's not like it's a surprise anymore. Do you think you can take Giovanni? Stronger, smarter creatures than you have tried and failed. He taught you everything you know, almost everything, and you hardly learned a worthwhile thing from Ash._

But Ash was the keyword, because there was more to her family than the parasite growing in her uterus, that thing which she loved but could do without at the moment. She couldn't do without Ash. She couldn't leave Ash, could she? She didn't have much time to decide either. If the power came back on the electronic lock would stay locked and she wouldn't have the slightest chance on getting to Giovanni. A Giovanni who could have had Ash cornered at that very moment, had him tied to a table with a knife diving for his neck. She could make another baby. She couldn't make another Ash.

So she twisted the handle and tossed open the door, a rather impressive entrance for a rather unimpressive scene. Giovanni, the man she hated, and Ash, the man she loved, were having tea and, if her eyes didn't deceive her, scones and cookies. Not only that, but Ash had the nerve to _smile _at her when she walked in, smile at her and hold out a chocolate chip cookie, like everything she had gone through was some sort of joke and the whole thing could be solved with a cookie. Though it was interesting enough that the lights were on here and nowhere else.

"Ash!" she shouted, stomping her foot. "What the _hell _are you doing? This is _Giovanni_! It's not some sort of tea party! We're _killing _him!"

"Yeah, that's what we were talking about." Ash laughed and patted the chair next to him. "Sit down, Misty. Come plot Giovanni's death with us. He says he knows it's been a long time coming, and he'd like to try and make a bargain with us. I'd like to see what I'm going to get when I kill the bastard. I couldn't kill him when you weren't here though, Misty. It's your revenge too, for making you fight all those Eggborn kids, like you were some sort of caged beast." His expression hardened and he pushed the chair out further. "Really, Misty, sit down. There's a lot of things I think we need to talk to Mr. Giovanni about. I'm sure you want answers as bad as I do."

Misty stiffened, glaring at the hulk of a man sitting across from her lover. A too square face, eyes too small that seemed unfocused, dreamy, with a touch of insanity. "You can't have our baby. It's not yours. We made it. We worked hard to make it. You can't have it. I don't know if it's a boy or girl or human or something different entirely, but it's still mine and you can't have it. So if that's what you're trying to bargain for you can let it go right now. It's my fucking baby and you can't have it. So let it go. You're not going to get it. Ash, shoot him."

The man sighed. "See, this is the problem with women, Ash my good boy. They get into their moods, get pregnant or menstrual and suddenly they're the most irrational creature you've ever laid eyes on. She's usually so sane. I'm sure you've experience the same thing. The same things happen when they have sex with you, hmm? They forget everything and can't figure out what they want you to do. That's why they're so hard to please, Ash, they can't make up their damn minds."

"I've never had any problems pleasing Misty, maybe the problem lies with you, Giovanni?"

He laughed. "Witty aren't you? Clever. If it has the best of you and Misty the world won't know what hit them. Misty, you're growing the perfect weapon in your stomach, the next step to evolution and you're so selfish as to think it belongs to you. It belongs to everyone, dear. If Alexander Graham Bell had hogged the telephone, where would we be today? This baby is a gift to world, but you don't have the ability to give it. All I want is to help, to make the world a better place. If you think I'm going about it the wrong way, by all means my dear, drop a suggestion."

"He's crazy, Ash. Shoot the crazy bastard. It's only a baby, that's all it is. It's nothing special and it's mine and it's Ash's and it doesn't belong to anyone else. So shut up. Eat a bullet, that's how you can make the stupid world a better place. Don't even make Ash do it, do it to yourself. You don't deserve to be Ash's first kill. Eat a bullet. Do the world a favor and just shoot yourself."

Giovanni reclined in his seat. "If you're thinking about it, Ash, I wouldn't. There's instructions that, upon my death, my men will siege your little rebellion. I don't know who's in it, I'm sad to say, though I'm sure your mother and Professor Oak are in on it. Gary too, I bet. The boy's so nosy I can't imagine how he wouldn't. Where it is, though, that was very easy. Your little girlfriend led me right to it. She betrayed you, Ash. I'm sure she knew she was doing it, on some level. They always do. The subconscious always knows what's going on. She must have had some nightmares about it. Did you, Misty? Dreaming about a day like this?"

"You're bluffing," she snapped, clenching her fists.

"These scones are _delicious_," Ash exclaimed, seeming indifferent to it all. "Even Pikachu likes them, and she can be so picky about anything that isn't cooked by Brock or me but she's eating this right up. Giovanni, give credit to anyone who made these. We have to get Brock the recipe. I think there's cheese in here. Cranberries too? I don't know. They're just phenomenal. Misty, you need to try one of these. They aren't poisoned, promise."

"I'm not bluffing." He chuckled.

"Of course you're not," Ash agreed. "That doesn't mean you're right, but you're definitely not bluffing. It's the hair tie, right? You put a tracking device in it. She's had it for years, used in as a security blanket, toyed with it whenever she felt stressed. She told me you'd given it to her. Handy way to keep track, huh? My mom's pretty crazy, you know. She's done that kind of thing to me a hundred times. I got rid of that stupid thing the second we left. Check the signal, it looks like I made a U-turn, doesn't it? I didn't. I just sent Pigeotto off with it. You still don't know where it is. Know why? Because brainwashing people makes them stupid."

Misty raised an eyebrow at him. "You're usually not this smart. Have you been hiding something from me?"

"I'm secretly a genius," he said seriously. "Haven't you seen my Battle IQ?"

"Battling's your talent, nothing else." She swallowed thickly, looking at the obviously shocked Giovanni. "But…there's nothing keeping us from killing him, is there? I mean, he doesn't know where the Rebellion is, he doesn't know who's in it. There's nothing he can do, nothing his men can do. You can just…you can shoot him now, Ash. We can shoot him, get the key around his neck and run. He's got nothing to say. He wanted the baby and he can't have it. There's nothing else to say here, right, sir?"

Ash blinked, setting down the tea that was halfway to his lips, making it clatter awkwardly loudly against the ceramic plate beneath it. "You called him sir."

"Old habits die hard is all." She shook her head, clenching her fists tighter.

"Is that all?" Giovanni asked, seeming excited once more. "I did take her from a very young age, you know. I bet I become somewhat of a father figure to her. I bet some part of her still thinks of me that way. She just proved it by calling me sir. Some part of her still wishes she was part of Team Rocket. She did take the pills and went through all the schooling. She learned what's right and wrong the Rocket way. In the end, she's a Rocket. A Rocket is a Rocket, and there's just no way she could switch sides. Give her the gun, Ash, watch what happens. She'd shoot you the second she got it."

"Don't you think that's a little bit of an exaggeration?"

Giovanni chuckled, turning to the redhead. "Where's Cassidy, Misty? You must have come across her. She's been moping, hiding in the cellar like a cat before it gives birth. She was pretty far along. I wouldn't been surprised if that's what she was doing. She could have been right on the brink of having the baby. The thing could have been due in a couple weeks, days maybe. I don't know. I don't keep up with it. Where is she, Misty? You didn't do anything Rocket-like to her, did you?"

"The cameras aren't up. You don't know a thing."

He grinned. "I know you. I know you better than your little friend here. I know you're the one who killed Butch. I know you killed Cassidy tonight. I don't know how you did it, but I'm sure you did. She wouldn't have let you pass if you didn't. She was out to kill you. You could have crippled her, stolen her gun and paralyzed her, but you didn't. You killed her. You don't plan ahead much, do you? You never did. Battled on impulse too, a lot like Ash. I knew you two would make a great couple."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Ash said. "I wouldn't have been able to plan it out either. Misty's already killed Butch, both times in self defense. Us Eggborns can be pretty irrational in times of need. Humans can be too. I'd rather her be alive than Cassidy anyway. If she'd as crazy as I think she was, I probably would have killed her too. I don't blame you, Misty. I trust you. I don't have any reason not to."

He slowly took the gun from his pocket and set it on the table, sliding it down to her with the same kind of casual flick as if he was tossing her one of the scones. Then he smiled at her, that same smile when she first met him, when she walked through the door a moment ago. That stupid, babyface grin, all too trusting, all too bright. "You never lied to me. We have something, Misty. We're the only Eggborns we know, we made a baby, and we're good friends. You've got no reason to betray me."

She picked up the gun, gasping in sharply as she aimed it at him. "You've known me for a _year _Ash. How do you know who I am? I've known Giovanni for my entire life, practically. All of it that matters, anyway. How do you know I wasn't stringing you along? Seems like a perfect way to figure out where the Rebellion is. Who's in it. It all led me right here, in this room with you and Giovanni. I could kill you, bring your body back, no one would ever know. I could draw them in for a second strike and wipe them out entirely. How do you _know, _Ash? I was even setting you up to bring out the gun so I could grab it and kill you. You know how fast I am, and how pregnant I am."

Ash laughed. "What? You're going to bring the baby into this now? Don't you think I know you better than that? If anything, the baby is completely against your whole argument."

"The kisses could have been fake."

"But they weren't."

"How do you know? Because you've never really kissed a girl? Never fucked one? If you press the right buttons, Ash, the brain can be tricked into thinking that anything is real. I've been practicing to do this my entire life. My whole purpose is just to have this baby. That was my life. That was what I trained for, Ketchum. That's all. To make this baby, destroy the Rebellion and, most importantly, to kill you. That's all I'm out for, Ash. You can survive an awful lot, but you're not Gary. A bullet will kill you, cut through your flesh just like anyone else."

"You love me," he argued. "You do. I know you do. I could tell the difference. You were you when you stopped taking the pills, when you hid the pokeballs under your bed, when you ate an entire burger or smiled or really laughed instead of just copying it from someone else. It wasn't a number that kissed me, it was you. You're Misty Yawa. You're a gym leader. If you shoot me right now, I'll die thinking it. I'll die believing in you. You're lying because you're scared. You're scared that you're not who you have been all this time. If it makes you feel any better, I think you are."

Giovanni stood up, scowling. "I raised you. I took you in when your parents were killed. I fed you. I clothed you. I gave you a place to sleep. I gave you an education. I let you have pokémon even though I knew you had them, even though I knew you were an Eggborn as the idea was as ridiculous as that _Pikachu _owning a _Charizard_, but I gave them to your anyway. I took care of you every way I knew how, and how do you repay me? You haven't! The only way you'll do it is by shooting him. Do it, give me your baby, and you can go wherever the hell you want. You'll have paid off your debt." His lips peeled back from his teeth in a foul grimace. "What has he given you?"

She felt the gun tremble in her hands, still pointed at Ash, still pointed right between his eyes. "He hasn't given me anything you haven't. He took me a prisoner, just like you did. You didn't let me choose anything, not without your supervision, and he did the same. You loved me. He loved me. At least, you both pretended too. There was no difference in how either of you treated me. Both of you were plenty nice as long as I went along with what you said. And, if I didn't, you'd get mad and try to convince me to do what you wanted."

She closed her eyes for a moment, calming herself before she looked up. "You treated me the same. But I love Ash. That's the different. I loved him, I love him, and I will love him until the day I die, because that's the price of being born without a belly button." The gun swung to the older man's head, while her lips swung up into a smile. "And _this_, you stupid son of a bitch, is that last stop. Maybe if you looked at the present instead of the past and the future, you would have noticed. A train can't run without a track."

She saw his head go back, saw brains and blood splatter across the floor and the walls, heard him scream, heard the bang and tasted blood in the air before she ever touched the trigger. No, it was that completely and utterly satisfying moment of pulling that cool, metal trigger that came last.

**

* * *

**

Hell yes! 12,403 words and it's done! It probably sucks and I'm going to get as much crap for it as J.K. Rowling did at the end of her series, but guess what? That's the end! There's an epilogue, but still. There's a spring as a type, my fingers bouncing on the keys and I'm so happy I could sing.

Forgive me for taking so long. If you'll excuse me, I have exams to not study for!


	23. After

_**After**_

Mating season had been long over by that point, but she still got breathless as her mind flashed back to that moment, right after she had pulled the trigger. She had dropped the gun to the floor, not in shock or surprise, but as if the gun had simply grown to heavy with the loss of a bullet, and Ash…he had been to her in a flash, turning her and sitting her on the table, lips roaming over hers until she was laying flat and the baby inside her was being disturbed in a way it never would have imagined it could be. It certainly wasn't the insanity of heat, but better, more satisfying, though while they were pulling their pants on they realized just how strange it was that Giovanni had been staring with his dead eyes wide open the whole time.

"Close his eyes or something," Misty insisted, snapping her bra back on. "It's just plain creepy. Ugh, look at that! His mouth is open and everything! That's disgusting!"

"Oh, and _I'm _the guy to do it. No way! You're the ruthless killer here! You go…what's it matter now? We're done and everything, so it's not like there's a point to it. Just…just ignore him and put your clothes on. Kenny's still trapped in the basement." Ash eyed the corpse wearily, the creepiness of the situation finally settling in as the adrenaline went away. It wasn't every day you went from having tea with your enemy to your girlfriend coming in and shooting that highly hospitable enemy right between the eyes and _then_, to top it all off and make it just a _great _day, had some awesome sex.

She stopped, shirt in hand. "Do you think I should shoot him again? You know, for good measure? I mean, he kind of looks…shocked."

"He looked shocked when you shot him."

"You know, Butch had the decency to die with his eyes closed. I didn't see Cassidy, but I bet she would have had the common decency to shut her eyes too. You don't die with your eyes open…or your mouth open. That's just, like…that's wrong."

"Maybe you should have given him more warning, so he could have closed his eyes and mouth and everything. He probably would have done it too. He was really nice. There wasn't poison in the food and Kenny has a great room. I mean, when you're that crazy it's really rare to be polite. I almost regret you killing him." Ash glanced as his mouse. "Hey, Pikachu, would you mind closing his eyes for us? Misty already killed him and I don't want to touch him."

(_It's an honor to be buried with your eyes closed. Why would you given him that? When he's buried I hope a rock scratches his eye and it stings all the way into the next world._)

"The key's around his neck," Misty suggested helpfully. "Couldn't you accidentally close them while you're going to get the key?"

The glare told her that, no, she couldn't. Still, she rushed off to get the key nevertheless. Giovanni's body was still warm, but already stiffening with rigor mortis, and she didn't like having to nose around the nasty smelling thing to find the dangling key. It was a chain too, and she gave a few pokémon swears. She couldn't gnaw through, but had to use some of her mousey skill to maneuver it over his head. After three failed tries, Misty made a move to help, but Pikachu bared her teeth. On the fifth try, she got it free and proudly dropped it into Ash's hand.

(_Wasn't so hard_.)

Ash made a face. "Ugh, the key's all warm. What was he doing with it?"

(_Kenny_.)

"Huh?"

(_Kenny, Ash. There's a boy imprisoned downstairs, a boy that you're very close friends with. You might want to save him instead of obsessing over the dead guy._)

"Oh, right." He laughed, closing his fingers around the key and petting his faithful rat's head. "Thanks, buddy. We need to get a move on, don't we? Rescuing Kenny…letting Team Rocket find the body and all that. Mew, I'm back on the body. I hope he wasn't a father or anything. Imagine what the kids would say, if they found out that their father was dead. Oh…Mew, Misty. How many people have you killed?"

"Three. I can count them all on one hand! We know plenty of people who have killed _way _more than that! This is war, Ash, casualties are necessary. And, to be fair, all the people I killed were assholes and it was all done in self defense except for Giovanni but that was for the greater good. So, technically, I haven't really killed anyone. There was just death that I caused that led to a better outcome."

He snorted, and she finished tugging on her shirt. One more longing look at Giovanni, and she couldn't contain herself. She scrambled to his side and pushed his mouth closed with one hand, doing his eyes with the others. She put him flat on his back, crossed his arms over his chest, and walked away quietly, ignoring Pikachu's furious chatter and Ash's questioning glance. She didn't say anything, because she wasn't quite sure what she could say without sounding completely crazy. Pikachu probably wouldn't understand, and the news would only worry Ash.

Despite what he had done, he was still the closest thing she had once had with a father figure. Some part of her still loved him, strange as it was to think it, and it was because of him that all this had happened. If Giovanni hadn't brought her in, she wouldn't be who she was. She wouldn't have her pokémon or her skills, and she had no idea whether or not she would have ended up with Ash if all this hadn't happened. She certainly wouldn't have the child in her stomach that she did right now. A different month, a different year, different egg and sperm. Giving him a good final resting pose was the least she could do, she imagined.

**

* * *

**

The tension that had come and gone and come again, with tea and death and sex and eyes closing, vanished once more with the light laughs and the blissful feeling that it was all over. Misty had her closure with Giovanni, and Ash felt that he'd never had enough face time to even start anything. He was just satisfied that Team Rocket was done for now, without its central leader it would certainly collapse. What's more, he hadn't even been the one to pull and the trigger, and he hadn't even thrown up when he saw the body! Well, perhaps a little bit, but only in his mouth and he considered that quite the accomplishment.

Kenny didn't seem to share the lighthearted feelings, not when they ran (or, at the very least, sauntered with purpose) downstairs to rescue him. At the news that Giovanni was dead, that Misty had killed him, the shock seemed to wash over him that a very powerful waterfall, the peaceful, quiet life he had been living was suddenly a prison cell, and his rights had been taken away. The man he had grown attached to suddenly seemed like a clear cut case of Stockholm Syndrome, with the dictator being the only person he could grow close to for nearly a year.

"Dead?" he blurted, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "He can't be dead! He's Giovanni! He must have had guards and guns and…and pokémon to protect him! He's been the head of Team Rocket since…since it was founded! You don't just walk into that man's office and kill him! He was a great man! You don't just kill great men like that!"

Misty shrugged. "Tough as it is to hear, you do. He was a great man when he set it up, but once he got the control he went insane. Some people just don't know what to do with themselves once they have power. They don't know what to do with it. All they can think about is how, if they had more power, they could do something with it. In the end, it never matters how much power he had because he would never figure out what to do with it."

"What do you mean? He did plenty!"

"He didn't do a thing. Every single thing he did was only to get more power. He didn't plan on how to keep it or what he was going to do with it. All he thought about was how to get more power. He didn't think how he was supposed to improve anyone's lives and he didn't think how he was supposed to make them worse. He just thought about how he could _control _more people and thought about how many people were already under his control that he could use, and that's where his problem was. He forgot to keep a hold on his people. I don't know if you've noticed down here, but Team Rocket's fallen to fuck."

"Now, I wouldn't say it's _that _bad," Ash drawled.

"Butch tried to rape me, okay? It was definitely that bad, Ash. That tops the charts of wrong in so many categories." She looked back at Kenny. "The man was insane, and you're starting to go crazy down here too. You don't know if it's night or day, you don't see any people, and worst of all you can't even spot another crazy person when you see one. Giovanni was a great conqueror, but a terrible leader. You'd be surprised how common his type is in history. He's history anyway. Dead and gone."

It was at this point Kenny did the incredibly tough, macho thing – fainted.

Misty, as mature as she was, exclaimed rather mockingly: "He fainted! He fainted because he _heard _about someone dying, and this is the guy of Dawn's dreams? I couldn't handle that. No way. I mean, I can hardly stand it now! Don't you just want to bash him over the head with something? Just a really good smack to the back of his head, to really give him something to faint over. It's not like he even saw the body!"

"_Misty_."

She gave her beau a sly grin. "But, then again, I ended up with a guy who throws up all the time. Your big accomplishment is only throwing up in your mouth a little bit. Wow, throw that information around with the ladies and I won't be able to hold onto you. But still, you Rebellion men. Throwing up…it's more manly but way more gross than fainting. With the options she had to choose from, I guess Kenny's the better deal. Still not a good deal, but if it wasn't for the sex and our illegitimate bastard child I don't think I'd be with you."

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his head against hers. "That's alright. You wouldn't last a night with anyone else."

"Are you implying something about what I do with you at night?" she asked, straightening her back so she stood as tall as she could.

"Yes. I am. No one else would be able to put up with your snoring."

"Snoring? I don't _snore_!"

"Like a _fog_horn."

(_Well, I guess I'm the only one who bothered noticing, but there's a fainted boy on the floor. I think there may be something we're supposed to do about that. Do you want me to settle your argument? It's simple. Misty snores, but Ash drowns her out. Could you please move on to something more important? This isn't _over_, you know._)

"But that's the beauty of it all. It _is _over, Pikachu. I mean, the big fight. It's over. All that's left are the aftershocks. We have all the time in the world to get out of here." Misty beamed, turning in Ash's arms. "I think we have a little time for playing."

(_No. No we don't. If you try to have disgusting human intercourse I'm zapping you both. Because it's disgusting._)

So, mostly to tease Pikachu who was getting _extremely _impatient, the two had a quick play fight, which no one won but both enjoyed. Neither enjoyed the vicious Volt Tackle they each got from the irritated Jasmine, though it did bring attention to Misty's burns. Her front side was hardly sore though very red, all except her hands. Those still seemed to sizzle, a were best left wide open, dangling in the air so they wouldn't touch anything that might send another jolt of pain through her palms.

"You're not going to be able to carry him up like this. There's absolutely no way you can do it, not without you in pain or doing more damage. We don't want them to get any worse. Moltres, what if they rip open? I wish you had told me sooner or noticed while we were" –he cleared his throat- "play fighting. I don't have anything for this, but we probably could have done a bit more investigating on the way down and there probably would have been something to heal your burns."

She tugged her hands back. "I'm not touching that crap. My hands will fall off. I can bring him up just fine. I've been getting around just fine, killed Giovanni just fine, I'm sure I can tug an unconscious wimp up the stairs. Besides, you've got your weird little super strength, can't you take him up the stairs by yourself."

"Well, I _could, _it's just…however I carry him up it's going to look…"

He paused, so she pressed him with a firm, "What?"

"Well, it's going to look really…I know it's wrong to think but it's going to look kinda gay and I just don't want to walk in front of all the kids who used to be my peers with some guy in my arms or on my back, and you'll look way too casual about it and we'll be laughing and it'll just look stupid."

She sighed. "The key phrase being _in front of all our peers_. Crap, Ash, you couldn't get down here without an escort. They probably won't let us walk _out_. Walking _in _was risky enough. I don't know about you, but I'm not all too keen about killing hundreds of kids with my bare hands, my bare _burnt _hands, and I'm not going through the vents with my hands the way they are. That, and I don't want to go past that furnace again. You've got a brain in that dumb little head of yours. Use it."

He grinned. "You _really _want me to use it?"

"What are you thinking?" she inquired, cocking her head to the side and leaning forward slightly.

And, despite Misty's grossed out face and mild protests, yet another favor was called in from the trio of Rockets. A bit of sneaking, and Jessie, James, and Meowth were helping the couple drag Kenny around the main floor and out the door, mostly without being spotted and without any major consequences. There were a few inquisitive looks (apparently, even the pill taking was starting to fade) and a brief argument with the trio, bargaining about payment (mostly about how it wasn't deserving of a pikachu prize)). And then, at the front entrance, they proudly met with May and Drew, who were engaging in the typical teenage act of texting to one another even though they were barely a foot apart.

"You're right next to each other!"

"But I don't have anything to say to her."

"Then why are you texting?"

"Because it's too quiet if we don't," he retorted. "Anyway, it's good you have Kenny. We've called in for a bigger car so we can throw him in the back. Brock's bringing some stuff to wrap up Misty's hand. Uh, what else? What else? Oh, May got about thirty texts that she's going to charge you for because everyone wants to know about the baby and they don't have your number to contact you. Supposedly, this guy knows you and thinks that you had potential."

"That'd be Earl," Ash agreed.

May made a face, looking as if Ash had just acknowledged that he liked to swim in sewage pipes. "_Him_, Ash? I know you were playing a part, but I figured you'd be able to choose your friends better than that. He looks like a bouncer, drinks like a pig, and now he's all…ew. He's just plain disgusting and-ohme_mew_, I'm an idiot. How'd it all go? What happened? Did I need to call someone? Or text? I can text, that's what this…this…ohmemew, what's it called again? Uh…"

"Wait, what have you been doing?" Drew said, turning to her. "You said you texted everyone with all the information five minutes ago. Before we got into the texting argument. Don't' you remember? You said 'on it' and then you typed for an hour and then you started texting me again."

"Oh, that. Yeah. I did that. I thought we were updating everyone on the baby." May giggled and ran forward, putting her hands on Misty's abdomen. "Wow! I can't believe you're pregnant! I could never handle it. I swear, five minutes in and my brain would just explode. I'd break down crying. I mean, I'd like to have a baby one day but I could never handle it now, and I could definitely never do it out of wedlock. My parents would murder me for that. Plus, it's probably going to be an Eggborn and that's just-"

Misty snatched up her wrists and pushed them away. "Do not _touch _my stomach. Ash, do not tell me that people are going to come over and _touch my stomach_ like they're going to feel a freaking baby inside an _egg_ inside my _uterus_."

"Misty, I'm telling you that people are going to come over and touch my stomach like they're going to feel a fucking baby inside your uterus."

"_Now _would be a good time to be protective and beat people off with a stick, father to my illegitimate bastard child."

"Gio…Giovanni _can't _be dead."

Ash beamed, bouncing a bit. "Oh, look! He woke up. What a convenient subject change."

**

* * *

**

A couple hours later and everyone -- including Kenny -- were safely in their homes. Dawn had gone with him, claiming that there was no way he could safely be alone, though they suspected she was mostly worried and mostly interested in giving him a good old fashioned check up without the doctor's degree. May and Drew, although their true homes lingered somewhere around Hoenn, went back to their apartments. Misty and Ash went to the small country cottage, but the Sensational Sisters weren't far behind, and Daisy pulled her sister aside.

"Misty," she said quietly. "I know this is suddenly, especially after everything you've gone through in the past couple of days. I understand if you don't…damn. I don't know how to say this without you just rejecting it. It's just…you've been gone for such a long time. I don't know you. I don't know if you know us. I just…_we _just really want to get to know you, and there's only one way I can think to do that, but I don't know if you'd like it or if you'd want to do it or…or even if you'd be able to do it with the way you are with Ash and everything."

She sighed, giving a half hearted smile. Her hands wrestled with one another in her lap, gripping the bandaged palms, pulling at her fingers while she tried to work up the courage to say it. "I…I know what you want. You want me to move in with you, don't you? Move away from Ash and Pallet and have the baby in Cerulean. That's what you're asking."

"I know it's not an easy choice to make."

"Obviously," she snapped, her throat tight.

"And, I can't lie to you. The biggest reason we want you there is because we want you. We really, really do. I want to get to know my little sister. It's not because you'll be better off there or because it's nicer there or anything. It's because we're selfish and we really, really want to know who you are. But, we also know that there's better doctors in Cerulean, closer doctors. There are doctors that actually _specialize _in Eggborns. They can help you with the pregnancy and the birth. You may not need one, and you know that they'll be researching you like nobody's business, but it'd probably be safer."

Misty released a shaky breath. "Ash is going to want me to go. When he hears about the doctors he'd going to want me to go."

"We don't have to tell him."

"I couldn't do that." She closed her eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I'd love to get to know you…but being apart from Ash would be hard. Even when I was separated from him, there usually weren't people around. It's going to be…it's going to be weird, trying to get to know someone that isn't Ash. I mean, Gary was hard enough and he's still kinda…you know. Not to mention that you guys and me…we're nothing alike. I can hang out with you but I don't know how I'm supposed to…damn."

"What's wrong?"

"I have to go to Cerulean. Damn. I've got to, don't I? I have to see my hometown and I have to get to know my family and I have to do what's best for the baby." She squeezed her hands tightly. "I'm not allowed to be selfish and I can't stay here just because I want to. I have to go with you. _Dammit_. I don't _want _to. Why did you have to ask? This wouldn't have happened if you didn't fucking ask me."

They went back and talked to the rest of them later that night. Delia was fine with it, nodding along with everything. Though Ash seemed to be shocked and a little stung, he was just as eager as his mother to send her away. The sisters were ecstatic, and Misty couldn't deny there was a little exhilaration twisting in her stomach. She wanted to go to Cerulean, she guessed, she just wished Ash could come with her, that she didn't have to do this alone. The baby couldn't talk to her, and it honestly wasn't that great of company, even if Ash did seem to love it already.

"I don't know how to take care of a pregnant woman anyway," he laughed, rubbing her still flat stomach as they sat on the couch. "Daisy knows, at least. She helped your mom with the twins and you, and they have really good doctors there. If I was pregnant, I'd definitely see them. Hey, maybe they're even hot doctors. You can hang out with a hot gynecologist. Won't that be fun? You won't even need me there. You've got hot guys, a baby and your sisters."

"You know it's not the same. I won't _die _without you. It's just…you know. I want you there. I want to battle with you."

"Well, I hear the gym has a pool, so you can stay fit and you can keep your pokémon okay. I can visit you too, whenever you need me. The drive isn't that long. I can grab a psychic type from Oak's lab if it's an emergency. See, so, I'll be there whenever you really need me. When I visit, I'm sure we can have a good fight. It'll…It'll be fine. It'll almost be like I never left, like we're still together. It'll be really fun."

She leaned on his shoulder with a sigh. "Can't you come with me?"

"I need to clean up after Team Rocket. You're lucky. They won't let you fight with that stupid baby in your stomach. Me, I have to go off to stupid war and do a bunch of stupid thing and have to be a stupid witness. At least you don't get off the hook completely."

"What do you mean?"

He laughed. "You know there's going to be police and paperwork for you too, right?"

"Arceus damned…" and she sighed again.

**

* * *

**

Ash came out at least three times a week, more when he could, and treated her a little more gently and a little more sweetly than was necessary, but she appreciated the effort. She really did. She was fond of spending time with her sisters, and actually was growing fonder of _them_. Different as they were, as much she could hate them at times, she did feel like she was learning to love them and that they did have the occasional close moment. She liked drinking hot chocolate and coffee with them, watching a chick flick. She liked scheming up ways for Daisy to get Tracey to notice her, roundabout ways she was sure wouldn't amount to anything.

But she loved Ash's visits most of all. Her sisters knew what she needed, but Ash knew what she wanted. He raced against her in the pool, play fought with her and gave her kisses and hugs when she asked for it. He did her another great favor: he brought her books, magazines, once or twice even managing to sneak her a laptop so she could keep up with all the news. The doctors weren't too fond of it, wanting as little stress as possible to be put on her in case she could have a live born baby. She didn't care at that point. She just wanted to find out if everything was going alright. She didn't care much if it was an Eggborn, either.

"It's ridiculous," she snapped. "There's not a chance that this baby is going to be born live, even if they drugged me up so I was permanently delirious. I keep telling them and telling them but they won't believe me. They say all it's about is stress, but they were all dealing with regular women. They weren't dealing with an Eggborn. Stupid doctors don't have any idea what they're talking about, you know that? It's so stupid. I hate them. Ash, can't you go beat them up for me?"

"Why can't you do it?"

"I'm bedridden. Can't you tell I'm bedridden? I can hardly handle the excitement of everything that's going on out there." She paused, biting her lip. "Ash, I really do have a problem just sitting there. I know you're…you're out there, running around and getting into all this crap and I can't stand it. I just want to be out there with you and…and you're sure you don't need me?" she insisted, pointing out a magazine article. Troops were storming a town not too far from Saffron City, and plenty of civilians were being killed despite their best efforts to fight. "We studied this area in class, you know. I know it really well. I could help you figure out a strategy. I could probably fight too. Maybe I can even learn some moves, like thunderbolt or flamethrower. I wouldn't even have to be on the battlefield."

"You know it's too dangerous."

"I'm not made of glass, Ketchum. I can still kick your ass just fine. I did so without a problem this morning. I'm only four months along, and they say it's developing at a normal rate. So it's going to be five more months before this thing comes out of me anyway. And, hey, if it comes out in an egg maybe I can ditch it for a while and it can do whatever it is eggs do before they hatch. I can be out there fighting with you."

"In an egg," he repeated. "You know, we have no idea the stress this is putting on your body. We don't know if you end up doing anything more than the daily swim or walking to the bathroom you'll completely crash. We can't take the chance, and we need to keep that baby safe. Besides, it's going to be violent enough without the war. Imagine how bad it'll if it's exposed to all that while still in the womb. You don't really want to take that chance, do you?"

She crossed her arms. "If it'll get me out of this bed I'd drop the stupid thing right now and run out to the battlefield. How am I supposed to sit here when all this crap is going on outside? You know how much I worry about you. You know that you're useless without me with you! You barely managed all those years before you met me, and you know that you never would have made it through that undercover mission if it wasn't for me. You'd have died in a minute."

"You're going to stay here and stay rested and worried about me like a housewife from the fifties."

"And _why _am I going to do something as stupid as that?"

"Because the baby needs you to do this for it, alright?" He folded up the newspaper and set it to the side, opting instead to pick up her hands in his. "You know if I could switch places I would. I'd rather be the one to stay at home eating bonbons all day with you running around kicking all the ass you feel like but that's not the way it worked out. Unfortunately, I don't have a uterus to put the baby in."

"I know a place where you could shove the egg."

"It wouldn't fit."

"Oh yes it would. I'd make it fit." She pounced on him, pinning him to the bed and wrapping her arms tight around his chest. "You'd be way better for it too. You're more motherly than I am, and I like fighting more. You'll get distracted, thinking about me, and then someone will shoot you and, as strong as you are it doesn't do _crap _against bullets. You may be better at attacking but you have the same defense as everyone else. You _can't _do this anymore, Ash. Just let me at whoever's making you do this. I'll snap their neck and you can come live with me. They don't need you, Ash, you just make the battle shorter, is all. Please don't go."

"I have to go, Misty. You know I have to-"

She cut him off, burying her head in his chest. "Ash, I know how bad this is hurting you. You can't do this, Ash. It'll ruin you. You've always been thin skinned. It doesn't matter if you're an Eggborn or _not _you know that war is wrong. You _know._ You'd feel the same way if it were pokémon doing this. They've got this stupid idea of what an Eggborn is supposed to be in their stupid heads and they can't even look at you and realize that you're not made for war. You're just _not_.

"Mew, Ash, _please _don't go."

**

* * *

**

It was phenomenal, what people could do once propaganda collapsed upon itself. Giovanni had once been immortal, a man that would live through the centuries, guiding and grooming the human race until they were more than they ever could have been. He was permanently the twenty five year old man they had seen him as when he first appeared, when that first signal jammed the radios and TVs and phones. It was that smiling young man they saw in their mind's eye, when they heard of Giovanni. Then appeared the pictures snapped with camera phones of the body, the breaking news, the online videos and text entries. The immortal man had died.

And he hadn't died in a horrifying way. The impressive man had died from a gun. There were no wooden stakes or silver bullets. He hadn't been burnt to death, shredded to death, ripped to pieces by some fanciful beast. He had died at a bullet, like their brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, cousins, uncles and aunts had during the old wars and during the little riots that scattered throughout the region. It wasn't something that was unfortunate and necessary, anymore, done by a god doing his best. They were murders, atrocities, done by an aging mortal man.

More and more riots broke out, protesting the Rocket rule with whatever they had. Poles, sticks, hand guns that were carefully hidden in drawers and under mattresses were beaten into Rocket scalps, and blood was running through the streets faster than Misty could run, and thicker than Ash was on an off day. There was rarely a place that could be found without a mysterious, screaming baby in the background, without moaning men and women laying on the hot asphalt, without doctors rushing about to see who was dead, who needed to be taken back to the hospital, and who needed a mercy murder.

Ash was getting sick of daily being sent place to place to break it up, him fighting alongside pokémon instead of the masters behind, giving commands. Not that thought it wasn't necessary, these sorts of things always were. They had gotten mixed up in it. This was their cause. They had to help their cause, didn't they? But he didn't like that his murder count had quickly passed Misty's, doubled, tripled hers in no time flat. He supposed it was more like he didn't mind aiming the gun, but wished he didn't have to be the one to pull the trigger.

He didn't want to have to look at those people fall. He didn't like having their faces haunt his dreams. He didn't like thinking of those screaming babies and mothers and fathers while he snapped a man's neck or crushed a woman's skull against a brick wall. He didn't like the looks the children gave him as he walked off the battlefield. The same look they gave the guns. They knew he wasn't there to harm them, but they couldn't help being frightened. If _they _were frightened of him, even with their parents thanking him and giving him whatever trinkets they had on hand, what would his own child think?

It was his troubled thoughts that had him wandering down his hall, out his house, down the road. He twisted the handle and pushed the door, breaking both locks rather quietly. A couple of clicks on the keypad, and he had turned the quietly beeping alarm off. Just another resident of the house, coming home, turning the alarm back on and going to find…who was he going to find? There were only two people in the house, and he couldn't be close to either of them. There couldn't be anyone he was looking for tonight, could there?

"Gary?" he called. His own voice surprised him, but it sounded right. It felt right. That's who he could talk to. He wasn't Misty, but he would do. He could probably help, better than her. He had connections, didn't he? He knew about people and war and death and pain and all of it, didn't he? If anyone could fix his problems, talk him through it, it was Gary. Gary was always rational enough to figure out what to do.

That was why there was a knock on the brunette's door in the middle of the night, late one night, to be more accurate. A glance at the clock told him it was _morning_, to be more accurate still. But, it was Ash, and rivals as they were, Gary couldn't exactly turn him away. So he went to the door and let Ash in, the two sitting on the bed in silence for quite some time. Considering he had come so late, Gary thought, he sure didn't have an awful lot to say. He was about to ask him to leave, about to kick him out.

When the words came tumbling out. "Gary, I can't do this anymore. I…I can't keep fighting like this. I'm constantly sick. I don't know if Oak told you, but I have to sleep with an IV. I'm getting dehydrated because of all the…and my throat and my teeth hurt all the time because I'm constantly…I can't sleep. I can't keep anything down. Mom and Misty keep saying that I'm pulling away, that we're not close anymore and all this is…I need to fight, Gary, I know that, but I can't do this anymore. If this keeps up, I think I'm going to…I think I'm going to have to get a gun and put it through my brain because I can't…"

"A lot of starting and stopping," Gary said when he had finished, "but the message got through."

"What am I going to do?"

"Getting the hell out of the war, I'd say. You're obviously not cut out for it. That's the reason most of us didn't want you in the Rebellion in the first place. The majority of us aren't cut out for war anyway. They're not in the war and you shouldn't have to be. It doesn't make any sense. _You _shouldn't be there. I don't know who put you on the list. Probably some idiot politician who got elected through lying to the public and fixing the votes. Mew, that's crap. Ash, get to Cerulean in the morning. You're going to land yourself in the hospital if you keep this shit up."

"You think you can just pull me out? Like that? I'm the only Eggborn they _have_. I'm a human weapon. You can't switch me out anymore than you could take a tank. You're not that good, Gary. You're just a researcher."

"Well, I don't just research pokémon, Ash." Gary smacked the back of his head. "Don't underestimate me or anyone else in this mixes up house. Blackmailing a mayor or two isn't the hardest thing to pull off, alright? The guy that's starting to take over government wise has had more affairs than an asshole in a chick flick. His wife's a bimbo, but I don't think she'd be too fond if someone spelled it out for her. I'll call up your mom and tell her it's time to get you out. Can you drive yourself to Cerulean or you need me to get someone for you?"

"I can do it myself. I'm not _that _bad. I can _drive_, damn it."

"Fantastic. Just try not to throw up while you're going."

**

* * *

**

The next morning, Ash's name was crossed out from its top spot on the list, promising that a soldier near death is no good in war and should never be returned to it. Misty was seven months pregnant, and he retired to her side. Both were a little bit happier, and the baby continued to do just fine. The baby was almost better than fine, in fact, the growth rate seeming to pick up with the husband around. The doctors worried that it'd be born a month early, or be too big when it finally came, but Ash couldn't seem to grasp why a big baby would be a problem, and Misty was on some sort of strange, endorphin high.

"It's weird," she murmured, her hands dancing above her. "I know I'm supposed to get moody, but the closer to the date it gets the more…relaxed I feel. 'Specially since you got here. It's like all my troubles faded away. I don't worry about the war or about what's going to happen to this little parasite inside me that's sucking me dry. I'm just really happy and you're here and the baby's fine and we're going to be _great _parents. Well, unless you keep throwing up as much as you do. Would you mind stopping that? It's really annoying."

"I can try, but I don't think it's going to work."

"You're still having nightmares," she accused. Her hands fell to her sides, as she was getting dizzy and the world was beginning to sway. She never liked this part, a twenty minute dizzy spell that happened about four minutes a day. The doctors, while monitoring her, claimed that the egg seemed to be turning inside her, during those dizzy spells. She said that it was interesting, and wondered if they could give her medication. They said they weren't exactly sure how to treat it, and she had proclaimed that they were absolutely useless then, and she wasn't sure if she wanted useless doctors, and she certainly didn't want to pay them.

"Dizzy?"

"You're still having nightmares," she said, making her hands dance above her again. She decided that this was much more fun anyway, much more exciting to watch them move when she wasn't quite sure what they were doing. "We should probably have you see someone about that, Ash. I want you to go see someone about all those nightmares. I think there are people who specialize in those traumatized by war. They might charge extra though. They shouldn't charge…you're still having nightmares. You never answered me whether it was yes or no. Tell me I'm right, that you're still having nightmares."

"Not every night," he argued, rubbing her shoulder. "Maybe once a week, and the therapist says that I'm making a remarkable recovery. He thinks I might not ever get over it, but I might be normal by the end of the year. That's insanely fast, he says. It's probably from…it's probably from being an Eggborn. We even heal those scars quick. What's going to happen when we have the baby. Are you worried about the baby, that it might come out as something…evil?"

"Terrified." She nodded once. "I'm absolutely terrified. Evil baby. You have a psychiatrist? I forgot. Damn. I usually don't forget. Have I been forgetting a lot lately? I can't remember. All I can think about is you and the baby. And you're going to take care of me, you'll take good care of me until I have the baby, right? I don't need to worry about anything. You'll keep me safe. You'll be my soul mate forever. You'll be my penguin, won't you? Penguins mate for life, you know. They really do. I'd say you should be my angler fish, but then you'd just be a sperm producing organ on my side. That's no fun. You can't protect me then."

"Do you think it's a boy or a girl?"

"I know what it is." She giggled. "I don't want to tell you what it is. It's a secret, Ash. You'll find out what the baby is soon. When we have it! It's coming out soon. I hope it'll be a good baby. If it's a bad baby, we'll have to kill it, and I wouldn't want to kill it. Wouldn't that be depressing, if we'd have to kill our first born baby? That'd really bum me out. If nothing else, we could always put it up for adoption and then some family will have a terrible surprise when they find out they adopted an evil baby. If it is evil, should we try again or should we just adopt a nice baby? We'd have to make sure it wasn't an evil baby, like ours might be. Are you really scared it's going to be evil?"

"Terrified."

"Good answer." Her hands froze above her. "Ash, I'm getting really hungry. Could you go get me something to eat?"

"You just ate. You're not really hungry again, are you?"

"No. But I don't really have anything to say. Nothing exciting has happened. Everything's so boring. Well, except the war, but I'm not allowed to be in the war because I have a baby inside me. I have an evil baby inside me and you're not allowed to know if it's a boy or a girl. Does it annoy you, that you're not allowed to know whether it's a boy or a girl? It'd annoy me, but a lot of things annoy me. Maybe it's because I'm pregnant with an evil baby. Maybe it's…it's Giovanni's baby. Maybe I had an affair and never told you. What would you do if I was having Giovanni's baby?"

"I'd faint."

"Like Kenny!" she shouted, and collapsed into helpless giggles. She rolled onto her swollen front, burying her head in her pillow and doing her best to quiet them. "You'd be just like Kenny! Fainting! That's just silly. I don't want you to stop throwing up and then start fainting like Kenny. Oh! Oh! That reminds me, Ash. You never tell me anymore. Are you still having nightmares? I bet you are. Tell me I'm right."

"Not every night."

Her sisters came in later, to ask if Misty was doing any better. Was she still acting strangely? Acting drunk or high? Was her memory loss still that bad? Did she still get dizzy? He told them yes, and it seemed to be getting worse. He said it was his fault, and if he wasn't there, she would be back to her old self. That's what the experts said. With him there to protect her, the body was relaxing itself, shutting down whatever it could to give all the energy to the baby inside her stomach. Oh, there was no doubt that that baby was much stronger than her, than either of them. There was no chance it would be normal.

They wanted to study it, and, at this point, Ash wasn't sure whether or not to say no. He didn't know if he wanted something that was doing this to her, that was messing with her head so badly, but what was he supposed to do? Kill it the second it came out? Demand the doctors rip it out of her? He couldn't stand just leaving her, selfish as it was. It was two months, he told himself. He could stand this for two months. The doctors said that it would probably stop after the birth, and all the chemical balances would settle back to normal. He hoped it was true. He wouldn't know what to do with himself if it wasn't. He didn't have Misty anymore. Whatever was in that room…it wasn't Misty. That much was for sure.

**

* * *

**

At exactly three in the morning, Misty was all alone in her room. She calmly stood up, and began to walk around the room. The happy feelings were completely gone now, replaced with simple need and knowledge of what she had to do. At the moment, she had to move. She had to stretch so she wouldn't cramp, because she couldn't stand cramping with everything else she was about to go through. Birth hurt, last time she checked. She didn't want to make it even worse. So she bent and stretched her legs and her back and her arms and everything she knew how to stretch, and then she settled back on the bed.

At exactly three twenty one, her water broke. She remembered thinking it was rather odd for her water to break, as she was about to have an egg, not a baby, but shrugged it off. Things didn't make much sense at this point. She definitely didn't want to have a team of researchers watching her every move. Made her feel like she was being hunted at an extremely vulnerable time. She couldn't fight while she was giving birth, she bet. At least, she didn't think she'd manage to do it well.

The birth took until exactly four fifty four, when she gave a final push and the egg finally plopped onto her sheets. Definitely big enough to fit a human baby, she was sure. But what was she supposed to do now? She was sure she wasn't supposed to crack it, and as much as she had the urge to do so, she really didn't want to eat anything that had just come out of her, no matter how nourishing every nature special she had ever heard assured her it would be.

It got a little stranger, because she was sure there was an umbilical cord. She switched on the light, picking up the thing and snapping through it with her teeth. It led to the egg, _into _the egg, and she had _never _seen anything like that on a nature channel. She didn't like that. That seemed like something from another planet, something that was going to jump out and eat _her _for all of the nutritious nutrients she would supply.

She quietly picked up the phone and called her lover, who was currently in a very important meeting regarding who was going to come into power.

"Misty, sweetie, now is not the time to tell me how many fingers you have. It's still _ten_, Misty, I _promise _you it's still ten."

"I had the egg."

"What?"

"It came with an umbilical cord attached."

"What?"

"It's freaky as hell. I know. I just thought I'd let you know that I gave birth to our demon spawn and it's in an egg and I really don't think I'm supposed to break it open. I don't know what you want to do about it. I'm guessing we just raise it until we know for sure it's evil, then we can drown it in holy water. I think that'll work out nicely. I mean, you know people who can get hold of holy water, don't you? I'm sure Gary does, if you don't."

"_What?_"

"You're the father of a freak of nature demon spawn. Congratulations!"

"I'm a _dad_!" Ash shouted to the room. The mayors of all major cities glared back at him, obviously not too concerned, but the few friends he had there cheered and whistled and clapped for him, and that was all he paid attention to. "So, Misty, are you going to sit on the egg or…?"

"Yes, Ash. I'm going to sit on the egg after carrying it inside me for eight months. _No_, Ash, I think it's still warm from my _uterus_. I'm not going to sit on it, I'm going to call the doctors so we can put it in an incubator and wait for it to hatch."

"So you're back to normal than."

"Screw the incubator, I swear I'm going to shove the egg up your ass. I'm not joking. Do you know how much everything _hurts_? I think I _tore _parts of me, Ash. I think I tore my vagina. Do you know that happens about eighty percent of the time? I ripped something I never imagined could rip. I would have rather thrown up that baby. They can stitch up my mouth. Can they…I don't care if they can. I don't want them putting needled down there. I'm tired and I'm angry and I haven't gone for a swim in forever."

"You can't ditch the egg to go for a swim."

"I promise to come back for it. I don't have post partum depression. I'll come back for it. I'll set it on the edge of the pool while I swim. I won't, you know, let it die."

"You can't ditch the egg to go for a swim."

So Misty did the only thing she could do: she took the water proof egg into the pool with her for a nice long swim. It seemed fine, despite Ash's complaints when he got home. She could hear the baby moving around inside, and when she rolled it ever so gently she couldn't hear any water sloshing around inside. It probably wasn't the safest thing to think, but she couldn't help imagining that everything _had _gone perfect. There wasn't anything wrong with her baby, demon spawn as it was supposed to be.

**

* * *

**

Misty loved Ash. Ash loved Misty. They were both fond of the egg, but it was hard to be parental towards something that didn't have a face. There was no cooing baby mouth, no big baby eyes, hell, there wasn't even a soft spot on the egg they couldn't touch in case they killed it. There was a simple, pale egg with a red spot where the umbilical cord had been trimmed shut. The doctors wanted to break it out, the parents wanted to leave it in, and the baby seemed perfectly content in its egg. It must have had some kind of food in there, they imagined, or else it surely would have been dead by then. It had already been about a month.

In the meantime, Misty caught up on everything she had missed while delirious. Her sister had managed to get Tracey on a few dates, and they were now pretty close to going steady. Or, as Daisy liked to put it, a hop, skip and a jump away from wedding rings and cradles. The other two sisters were single, though Lily did tend to flirt with Gary and Violet did occasionally spend more time than necessary at Brock's. Still, the girls were happy and had plenty of work in the post war drama, computers and salons and things to be done. Money was never in short supply, though time was something they could have used a little more of.

Drew and May were back in Kanto, attempting to start up a contest competition, which was catching on rather quickly. People eagerly raced to buy tickets to watch, though there weren't that many interested in entering. Those that did still weren't quite there, contests still more of a display of power than beauty. _Rome wasn't built in a day_, they would quip, and some progress was better than no progress. They fact was that people were trying, trying hard to get back into the swing of things. Creativity was already popping up, in little bursts, because May had never imagined that a person could manage to make a ratata cute. Her new friend, Sally Walker of Saffron City had managed the task easily, and was well on her way to becoming the first champion of Kanto's contests.

Dawn had gone back to Sinnoh with Kenny, competing in her contests again, but would fly in whenever she got a call. She was also always eager to send funds, with her father thrilled that a new region had opened up so he could promote…whatever he was selling. Dawn had confided in her friends she wasn't quite sure what her father sold, but she imagined that he might have secretly bought up every major chain in Sinnoh. They agreed that there were a lot of Sinnoh chains popping up, but weren't quite sure if the connection could really be made.

Gary's research was getting published, most likely because it was based on Ash. The black haired boy was _insanely _cranky that he was being studied like a lab rat. Gary informed him that, if he didn't shut up, he'd be forced to study their mating habits as well. After all, now that Misty had an egg, there was no reason for her to stay out of heat anymore, was there? While Ash was nervously preoccupied with that, Gary took blood samples and did tests and soon knew more about Eggborns and pokémon (and, he supposed, people) than his grandfather did.

Delia and Oak were married. And that's all there was to say about _that_.

"Your mom married the professor? How weird."

"Didn't you call me here for something?"

"Sure. But I think we need to talk about this. I mean, I know they were dating and probably _you knowing _and other disgusting stuff, but I never would have thought they would have ended up getting hitched. How do you feel about it? I mean, does it gross you out? It probably grosses everyone else out. Did you storm their private wedding at just the right moment, giving a plethora of reasons why their disgusting union should never take place? That would be embarrassing for everyone."

"I can leave, Misty. I have things to do."

"No, you don't. You don't have anything to do, you liar." She sighed and held up the egg. "It's all about this. I can't tell you why, but I'm pretty positive it's going to hatch today. I know it's going to hatch. I wouldn't even give it an hour. I thought now would be a good time to choose a name. I'll suggest a boy name and a girl name, you'll suggest a boy name and a girl name, and we'll take the best ones and that's what we'll name the kid. I know we should have done this earlier but, well, I wasn't exactly up for it at the time."

"You already know the gender."

"Yes, but you don't."

"But you already…" He sighed this time, loud and long. "Why do you have to be such a bitch about it?"

"Because it's _funny_ to watch you squirm. If it's a girl, I like the name Alison. If it's a boy, I like the name Gary." He laughed at his glared, and corrected, "Alright, alright. In truth, if it's a boy I like the name David. I think they're nice names. I mean, they don't _mean _anything, I just think they sound nice. If you can think of one that actually means something, or if you want to name the baby after someone, that's fine. I mean, it's probably nicer to actually name the baby after someone or something, isn't it?"

"I don't know. It's not like I've ever named a baby before. My name doesn't mean anything. Obviously _yours _does, since it's got to do with water and the gym and all that. I just got named Ash for the heck of it, I guess. If it's a boy, I really would like to name him after my dad. If it's a girl…I don't know. I don't want to name her something stupid, like Misty Junior. Sorry, but that's just…ugh. We can't even name her for anything because we don't know what she'd be like."

"Isn't naming the kid Cypress putting him up to some big tasks? Not saying it's a bad name, it's a good name. However, you're assuming it's a girl and not a boy. Maybe you shouldn't be putting so much stress on the girl's name and focus a little more on the boy's name."

"Should I?" he asked, peering closely into her face.

She smiled and countered, "Should you?"

"Dammit. I can't tell if you're lying or not. Alright I say…if it's a girl, we'll name her Delia." He paused. "If the baby has black hair, we'll go with my names. If the baby has red hair, we'll go with your names. That'll work out, right? There's a chance the baby could have red hair. My grandmother on my mom's side had red hair, so it could happen, I bet. I mean, it probably won't, but I think we've already beaten enough odds, don't you think?"

"And if the baby ends up with brown hair?"

"Coin flip," he decided with a wave of his hand, then froze. "Wait, do you know what color the baby's hair is?"

"Mew, Ash, you can be _such _a-"

"Oh, come on, you know the gender, is it really that farfetched to think-"

"Ooh, farfetched, but you wouldn't know that great word if it wasn't a-"

There was a very loud, very quick cracking sound from the egg, and the argument stopped dead in its tracks. It definitely had come from the egg. That meant the egg was _definitely _hatching. They were about to be parents for _real _this time. There was going to be a button nose and baby fat and their very own soft spot on its head they weren't allowed to touch. It'd be a bouncing baby boy, a bouncing baby girl, and _Eggborn _child. The first in Mew knew how long. They would have to raise it and care for it and feed it and protect it and teach it, and that suddenly wasn't a far off dream, but a reality crashing down on their heads.

(_Baby!_) Pikachu chirped. (_Haven't seen one of these things hatch since Aoko!_)

"Oh, Arceus," Ash moaned nervously. "What if it comes out of there like the Tasmanian devil and tries to kill everything?"

"We'll kill it first."

"And what if it's _not _and we actually have to take care of it?"

"Then we'll find a way to do it." She crawled forward, a quick peck on the lips before she settled back. "We can do this, Ash. It's not going to be easy, but we have to try. If anyone can do this it's us. I promise you that I won't run away, and I know you won't run away, and it'll _always _be two against one. We'll have our friends and family to help us. We'll have a baby, Ash, but we can _handle _it. We took down Giovanni and helped each other through our worst times. We've done way bigger things than this, Ash, all that's left to handle is the crappy sequel, alright? We can do this, Ash, I know we can."

She brought the egg to her lap, gripping a chunk of shell, eager to rip it off. The baby was tumbling around in there, too coordinated, too rational to be normal, even the fact that it was in an egg aside. It needed help to get out, though. She could just as easily leave let inside, let it pass on. No one would ever know. It was an accident. They didn't know when to let it out, when to leave it in. Even if it wasn't, everyone would probably understand. She could just as easily say that the tightness in her throat wasn't fear of the responsibility, but the knowledge that what was just beyond her grasp was something wicked and evil.

But she did rip it, hard and quick, declaring: "It's going to be hard work Ash, but we're going to get that stupid happily ever after."

**

* * *

**

So, this took forever. Sorry. I'm also sorry because it's probably riddled with grammar errors and typos. I offer this:

**Fun Facts (or "The Corpses of My Ineffectual Dreams"):**

The entire story was originally going to take place in the school, Ash was on a one man mission to destroy it. That was stupid, didn't make sense, and made Ash a Gary Stu, and we all know how he'd hate being anything like Gary.  
I plotted that friggin' rubberband since, like, chapter three, and it was _so _not as epic as I dreamed it would be.  
Eggborns didn't exist until chapter two.  
Ash wasn't an Eggborn until Dawn appeared.  
Dawn was, originally, going to be involved much more in the story as a protest to their love, but I figured once was enough and if she kept popping up it'd be annoying.  
May was going to have a bigger role, hating Misty, not because she was dating Ash but because she was a Rocket. It wouldn't have worked as filling the story with pointless character interaction would have lengthened it pointlessly and made it boring as hell.  
Aoko was going to do…something more important. I forgot what the hell it was by the time she finally hatched, and she went from "conversation topic" to "giving Misty something to be motherly towards" to "plot device and character development device".  
There was originally an AGM love triangle, to show that Ash and Misty didn't just fall in love because that was their only option. I thought a simple conversation worked better as Eggborn was thought to be a condition/illness, I thought that Oak would stop at nothing to fix his grandson.  
Misty learned to play the electric guitar with Gary, but she only knew three chords. She used this and a pair of headphones to ignore people.  
Ash and Misty's child is famel, as decided by my iPod shuffle setting. The first half (A-N) would be male, the second half was female. The song was "Pushing me Away" by Linkin Park. If you want to write a sequel using the nameless beast you'd better A) be prepared to write like this thing was a wolf in a Jack London book B) ask me. I say this because I don't want people bugging me about a sequel. I don't want to. I'm not the sequel writing type.  
Misty's number was my author ID number. Ash's number was the ID of this story. This is ironic, because the story was more about Misty than Ash and I'm more like Ash than I am Misty.  
Although filler could be nice, this is mostly bare action with no extra crap because I hate it when I read a book and have to turn through pages of imaginary politics.  
Rereading this story, I hate it so much I want to delete it. XD  
Ash and Misty's child is Alison Delia Ketchum Yawa. She's got brown hair and green eyes.

Thanks so, so much to everyone who read and reviewed!

Hugs and Love,  
Natty


End file.
